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Calochortus howellii

Howell's mariposa lily

Shasta River mariposa lily, single-flower mariposa-lily

Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

slender, not branching or rarely branching in axil of cauline leaf, straight, 2–4 dm.

not branching, straight.

Leaves

basal persistent, 20–35 cm;

blade gradually tapering distally, adaxially pubescent.

basal withering;

blade linear-attenuate.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 2, subopposite, linear to narrowly lanceolate, attenuate, 1–3 cm.

1-flowered, long-peduncled;

bracts opposite.

Flowers

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals shorter than petals, ovate-acuminate, glabrous;

petals yellowish white, with purplish hairs toward base, broadly obovate, cuneate, inconspicuously fringed laterally, sparingly short-hairy adaxially, apex rounded;

glands transversely oblong, slightly depressed, densely covered with short, distally branching hairs, the bases of which unite at lower margin to form inconspicuous, discontinuous membranes;

filaments shorter than anthers;

anthers oblong-lanceolate, apex acute to short-apiculate.

erect;

perianth open, turbinate to campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, attenuate, ca. 4 cm;

petals pinkish, with chevron-shaped, dark red blotch distal to gland, obovate, cuneate, rounded, ca. 5 cm, with few flexible hairs near gland, margins irregularly dentate distally;

glands oblong, not depressed, densely covered with slender, unbranched hairs;

filaments lanceolate-linear, shorter than anthers;

anthers short-tipped.

Capsules

erect, 3-winged, ellipsoid, ca. 2 cm, base and apex acute.

erect, linear, angled.

Seeds

light-colored, irregular.

unknown.

2n

= 20.

Calochortus howellii

Calochortus monanthus

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Dry, rocky, serpentine soils Vernal meadows
Elevation 300–500 m (1000–1600 ft) 800 m (2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calochortus howellii is known only from the Illinois River valley, Josephine County.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Calochortus monanthus is known only from a single collection from meadow along the Shasta River, near Yreka, Siskiyou County, by E. L. Greene in June, 1876. It is presumed extinct.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 129. FNA vol. 26, p. 133.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Calochortus Liliaceae > Calochortus
Sibling taxa
C. albus, C. amabilis, C. ambiguus, C. amoenus, C. apiculatus, C. argillosus, C. aureus, C. bruneaunis, C. catalinae, C. clavatus, C. coeruleus, C. concolor, C. coxii, C. dunnii, C. elegans, C. eurycarpus, C. excavatus, C. flexuosus, C. greenei, C. gunnisonii, C. indecorus, C. invenustus, C. kennedyi, C. leichtlinii, C. longebarbatus, C. luteus, C. lyallii, C. macrocarpus, C. minimus, C. monanthus, C. monophyllus, C. nitidus, C. nudus, C. nuttallii, C. obispoensis, C. palmeri, C. panamintensis, C. persistens, C. plummerae, C. pulchellus, C. raichei, C. simulans, C. splendens, C. striatus, C. subalpinus, C. superbus, C. tiburonensis, C. tolmiei, C. umbellatus, C. umpquaensis, C. uniflorus, C. venustus, C. vestae, C. weedii, C. westonii
C. albus, C. amabilis, C. ambiguus, C. amoenus, C. apiculatus, C. argillosus, C. aureus, C. bruneaunis, C. catalinae, C. clavatus, C. coeruleus, C. concolor, C. coxii, C. dunnii, C. elegans, C. eurycarpus, C. excavatus, C. flexuosus, C. greenei, C. gunnisonii, C. howellii, C. indecorus, C. invenustus, C. kennedyi, C. leichtlinii, C. longebarbatus, C. luteus, C. lyallii, C. macrocarpus, C. minimus, C. monophyllus, C. nitidus, C. nudus, C. nuttallii, C. obispoensis, C. palmeri, C. panamintensis, C. persistens, C. plummerae, C. pulchellus, C. raichei, C. simulans, C. splendens, C. striatus, C. subalpinus, C. superbus, C. tiburonensis, C. tolmiei, C. umbellatus, C. umpquaensis, C. uniflorus, C. venustus, C. vestae, C. weedii, C. westonii
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 23: 266. (1888) Ownbey: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 465, plate 39, figs. 3, 4. (1940)
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