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

green-banded star-tulip, sagebrush mariposa-lily

Diogenes' lantern, golden fairy lantern

Habit Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

usually not branching, stout, 2–5 dm.

usually branching distal to base, 1–5 dm, slightly glaucous.

Leaves

basal withering, 0.5–1 dm;

blade linear.

basal persistent, 20–50 cm;

blade linear, flat, slightly glaucous.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 3–5 cm.

2–many-flowered.

Flowers

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, 4–5 cm, apex acuminate;

petals purple, with median green stripe on abaxial surface, obovate, 4–6 cm, bearded distal to gland, apex acuminate;

glands triangular-sagittate, slightly depressed, densely covered with slender hairs;

filaments 8–9 mm;

anthers lanceolate-linear, ca. 1 cm, apex obtuse.

nodding;

perianth closed at apex, globular;

sepals spreading, ovate to lanceolate, 1.5–2 cm;

petals deep yellow, with brown abaxial blotch, widely lanceolate, 1.6–2 cm, densely ciliate throughout, adaxial surface glabrous or with a few hairs near gland;

glands deeply depressed, bordered distally by band of hairs;

filaments longer than anthers;

anthers oblong, apex obtuse or acute.

Capsules

erect, lanceoloid-linear, angled, 4–5 cm, apex acuminate.

nodding, winged, oblong, 2–3 cm, apex obtuse or acute.

Seeds

flat, inflated.

dark brown, irregular.

2n

= 14.

= 20.

Calochortus macrocarpus

Calochortus amabilis

Phenology Flowering mid spring–mid summer.
Habitat Shaded places in open woods or brush
Elevation 100–1000 m (300–3300 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
w North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Petals purple, with or without dark purple band distal to gland.
var. macrocarpus
1. Petals white, with reddish purple crescent distal to gland.
var. maculosus
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 136. FNA vol. 26, p. 124.
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. lyallii, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
C. macrocarpus var. macrocarpus, C. macrocarpus var. maculosus
Synonyms Mariposa macrocarpa
Name authority Douglas: Trans. Hort. Soc. London 7: 276, plate 8. (1828) Purdy: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, 2: 119, plate 19, fig. 1. (1901)
Web links