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Calochortus macrocarpus

green-banded star-tulip, sagebrush mariposa-lily

winding mariposa, winding mariposa lily

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

usually not branching, stout, 2–5 dm.

twining or straggling over ground, branching, 1–2 dm, usually sinuous.

Leaves

basal withering, 0.5–1 dm;

blade linear.

basal, withering;

blade linear, attenuate.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 3–5 cm.

1–4-flowered;

bracts 1–3 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, each member with transverse yellow band;

sepals lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, 2–3 cm;

petals white with lilac tinge, darker veined, especially distally, sometimes with purple blotch distal to gland, obovate to cuneate, 3–4 cm, with sparse or dense, short or long hairs near gland, apex rounded;

glands transverse-lunate or wider, densely short-hairy;

filaments 6–10 mm;

anthers oblong, 5–7 mm, apex obtuse or acute.

Capsules

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

erect, lanceoloid, angled, stout, 3–4 cm.

Seeds

flat, inflated.

light beige, flat.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Calochortus macrocarpus

Calochortus flexuosus

Phenology Flowering spring.
Habitat Dry stony slopes, desert hills, mesas, creosote bush scrub, sagebrush scrub
Elevation 500–2000 m (1600–6600 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
w North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; UT
[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. 131.
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. eurycarpus, C. excavatus, 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) S. Watson: Amer. Naturalist 7: 303. (1873)
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