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Calochortus macrocarpus

green-banded star-tulip, sagebrush mariposa-lily

big-pod mariposa, big-pod mariposa lily, white mariposa lily, wide-fruit mariposa lily

Habit Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

usually not branching, stout, 2–5 dm.

not branching, straight, 1–5 dm.

Leaves

basal withering, 0.5–1 dm;

blade linear.

basal persistent, subtended by inflorescence, 1–3 dm × 5–25 mm;

blade flat, tapering toward both ends, becoming involute.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 3–5 cm.

subumbellate, 1–5-flowered;

bracts 2 or more, narrowly lanceolate to linear, long-attenuate, unequal, 1–5 cm.

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.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals ovate to lanceolate, usually much shorter than petals, glabrous, apex acute to acuminate;

petals creamy white to lavender, with conspicuous median red-purple adaxial blotch, obovate, invested near gland with few long, flexuous hairs, base cuneate, apex rounded or acute;

glands triangular-lunate, slightly depressed, bordered proximally by comparatively narrow, deeply fringed membrane, distally often by narrower, crenate membranes, enclosed surface densely covered with long yellowish hairs, which, with membrane fringe, are often inconspicuously papillose;

filaments slightly longer than anthers;

anthers oblong, apex obtuse.

Capsules

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

erect, 3-winged, ellipsoid-oblong.

Seeds

flat, inflated.

light beige.

2n

= 14.

= 20.

Calochortus macrocarpus

Calochortus eurycarpus

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Grasslands and open coniferous forests
Elevation 700–2700 m (2300–8900 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
w North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; WY
[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.
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. 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. 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 C. nitidus var. eurycarpus
Name authority Douglas: Trans. Hort. Soc. London 7: 276, plate 8. (1828) S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 348. (1871)
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