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Sierra mariposa, Sierra mariposa lily

sego-lily

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

not branching, less than 1 dm.

usually not branching or twisted, straight, 1.5–4.5 dm.

Leaves

basal persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear, flat;

cauline usually absent.

blade linear, becoming involute;

basal withering.

Inflorescences

1–10-flowered.

subumbellate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts congested, unequal.

Flowers

± erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, 8–10 mm, glabrous, apex acuminate;

petals white, obovate, 10–14 mm, not ciliate, adaxial surface glabrous or sometimes with few hairs near gland;

glands bordered proximally by ± ciliate membrane;

filaments equaling anthers;

anthers linear-oblong, apex acute.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals marked similar to petals, usually shorter, lanceolate, glabrous, apex acuminate;

petals white, tinged with lilac or infrequently magenta, yellow at base, with reddish brown or purple band or blotch distal to gland, broadly obovate, cuneate, sparsely invested near gland with slender hairs, apex usually short-acuminate;

glands round, depressed, surrounded by conspicuously fringed membrane, densely covered with short, unbranched or distally branching hairs;

filaments ca. equaling anthers;

anthers yellowish or pinkish, oblong, apex obtuse.

Capsules

nodding, 3-winged, ellipsoid, 1–2 cm.

erect, linear-lanceoloid, 3-angled, apex acuminate.

Seeds

irregular.

flat.

2n

= 20.

= 16.

Calochortus minimus

Calochortus nuttallii

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering late spring–late summer.
Habitat Moist grassy areas in open woods, along lake margins Dry soils
Elevation 1200–3000 m (3900–9800 ft) 700–3300 m (2300–10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; SD; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Derivatives of hybridization between Calochortus minimus and C. nudus (pink- to lavender-tinged petals with rounded tips) occur in the northern high Sierra Nevada (B. D. Ness et al. 1990).

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 128. FNA vol. 26, p. 136.
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. macrocarpus, 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. 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
Name authority Ownbey: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 430. (1940) Torrey: in H. Stansbury, Exped. Great Salt Lake, 397. (1852)
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