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Calochortus lyallii

Lyall's mariposa-lily

La Panza mariposa lily, San Luis obispo mariposa-lily

Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

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

usually branching, 1–6 dm.

Leaves

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

blade tapering toward both ends.

basal withering, 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, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 2–8 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 with dark red proximal blotch surrounding gland and extending to base, lanceolate, 2–3 cm, apex recurved;

petals white or yellowish, often pink abaxially, with dark red blotch surrounding gland, often with small red spot immediately above gland, obovate to cuneate, 3–5 cm, with scattered hairs proximally;

glands suprabasal, ± square, not depressed, covered with short hairs;

filaments usually equaling anthers;

anthers linear-lanceolate to oblong.

Capsules

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

erect, linear, angled, 5–6 cm.

Seeds

irregular.

light beige, flat, 5–6 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 14.

Calochortus lyallii

Calochortus simulans

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Dry slopes, open coniferous forests Sand (often granitic), grasslands to pine forests
Elevation 300–1500 m (1000–4900 ft) 0–1100 m (0–3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calochortus simulans is restricted to central San Luis Obispo County.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 130. FNA vol. 26, p. 134.
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. 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. monanthus, C. monophyllus, C. nitidus, C. nudus, C. nuttallii, C. obispoensis, C. palmeri, C. panamintensis, C. persistens, C. plummerae, C. pulchellus, C. raichei, 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
Synonyms Mariposa simulans
Name authority Baker: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14: 305. (1874) (Hoover) Munz: Suppl. Calif. Fl., 174. (1968)
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