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Calochortus lyallii

Lyall's mariposa-lily

Inyo County star-tulip

Stems

not branching or with branch in axil of cauline leaf, straight, 1–5 dm.

slender, not branching, 1–3 dm.

Leaves

basal solitary, persistent, 1–3 dm × 2–20 mm, usually not exceeding inflorescence;

blade tapering toward both ends.

basal usually persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–9-flowered;

bracts 2–several, lanceolate to linear, attenuate, unequal, 1–5 cm;

peduncle slender, becoming stiffly erect in fruit.

subumbellate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts paired, 3–8 cm.

Flowers

erect or spreading;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals white or purplish-tinged, usually with purple crescent, lanceolate, usually equaling petals, often adaxially papillose, apex acuminate to attenuate;

petals white or purplish-tinged, usually with median, red-purple, adaxial crescent distal to gland, ovate to lanceolate, abruptly contracted at base into short, conspicuous claw, usually conspicuously fringed with long, slender hairs, adaxial surface ± papillose, bearing a few long hairs distal to claw, apex acute to acuminate;

glands transversely oblong, depressed, arched upward, bordered proximally by narrower, crenate membrane, with short, thick hairs toward distal margin of enclosed surface, both fringe of lower membrane and hairs densely long-papillose;

filaments basally dilated, ± equaling anthers;

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

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, 2–3 cm, apex acuminate;

petals lavender, with longitudinal median abaxial green stripe, with or without blotches, broadly cuneate to obovate, 3–4 cm, with a few short hairs near gland;

glands round, depressed, surrounded by conspicuously fringed membrane, densely covered with short, distally branching hairs;

filaments 6–8 mm;

anthers red-brown, oblong, 7–10 mm, apex obtuse.

Capsules

erect, 3-winged, ellipsoid, base and apex acute.

erect, brown, lanceoloid-linear, 3-angled, 2–3 cm.

Seeds

irregular.

light beige, translucent, flat.

2n

= 20.

Calochortus lyallii

Calochortus excavatus

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Dry slopes, open coniferous forests Grassy meadows in shadscale scrub
Elevation 300–1500 m (1000–4900 ft) 1200–2000 m (3900–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calochortus excavatus is found only in the eastern Sierra Nevada in Mono and Inyo counties. It is threatened by groundwater depletion.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 130. FNA vol. 26, p. 137.
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. howellii, C. indecorus, C. invenustus, C. kennedyi, C. leichtlinii, C. longebarbatus, C. luteus, 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. 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. 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
Name authority Baker: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14: 305. (1874) Greene: Pittonia 2: 71. (1890)
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