The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Calochortus lyallii

Lyall's mariposa-lily

splendid mariposa, splendid mariposa lily

Habit Plants rarely bulbose; bulb coat, when present, membranous.
Stems

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

branching, ± straight, 2–6 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, attenuate.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–9-flowered;

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

peduncle slender, becoming stiffly erect in fruit.

monochasiate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts 2–5 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, narrow at base;

sepals deep lilac, often with purple blotch, lanceolate-ovate to acuminate, 2–3 cm;

petals lavender to deep purple, usually with purple blotch at base, obovate to cuneate, rounded, 3–5 cm, with scattered, white and/or purple hairs proximal to middle, sometimes with yellow hairs distal to gland, margins dentate distally;

glands ± square, not depressed, usually with many branching hairs;

filaments 7–8 mm;

anthers purple or white, 5–7 mm, apex obtuse to abruptly pointed.

Capsules

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

erect, linear, angled, 5–7 cm.

Seeds

irregular.

light-colored, flat.

2n

= 20.

= 14.

Calochortus lyallii

Calochortus splendens

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Dry slopes, open coniferous forests Dry slopes in heavy or granitic soil in chaparral, valley grassland, pine forest
Elevation 300–1500 m (1000–4900 ft) less than 2800 m (less than 9200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 130. 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. 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. simulans, 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 C. davidsonianus, Mariposa splendens
Name authority Baker: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14: 305. (1874) Douglas ex Bentham: Trans. Hort. Soc. London, ser. 2, 1: 411, plate 15, fig.1. (1835)
Web links