Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus persistens

Calochortus elegans
Calochortus persistens

Siskiyou mariposa-lily

cat's ear, elegant cat's ear, elegant mariposa lily, elegant sego lily, elegant star tulip, northwestern mariposa lily
Stems

not branching, ca. 1 dm.

± slender, usually not branching, often scapelike, 0.5–2 dm.
Leaves

basal persistent, ca. 2 dm;

blade lanceolate, tapering at base, flat.

basal persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear, flat, glabrous adaxially.
Inflorescences

subumbellate, 2-flowered.

1–7-flowered.
Flowers

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals smaller than petals;

petals pink to light purplish, obovate, 35–40 mm, adaxial surface hairy only distal to gland, margins yellow-ciliate;

glands bordered proximally by wide, ciliate membrane, distally by short hairs;

anthers lanceolate, apex apiculate.

erect to spreading;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals oblong-lanceolate, 12–16 mm, usually glabrous, adaxial surface minutely papillose;

petals light green to white, usually with purple crescent distal to gland, ± oblanceolate or broader, 10–15 mm, adaxial surface hairy only distal to gland, margins conspicuously ciliate;

glands lunate, usually slightly depressed, bordered proximally by ± ciliate membrane, distally by short hairs;

anthers lanceolate, apex apiculate.
Capsules

nodding, winged, ellipsoid, ca. 1 cm, apex acute.

nodding, winged, ellipsoid-globular, 1–2 cm, apex obtuse or acute.
Seeds

irregular.

light brown, irregular.
2n

= 20.

= 20.

Calochortus persistens

Calochortus elegans
Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Open areas in rocky soils
Elevation 1000–1500 m (3300–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
nw United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Calochortus persistens is restricted to the Klamath and Cascade ranges in Siskiyou County.

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

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Petal gland membranes erose to crenate.
var. nanus
1. Petal gland membranes deeply fringed.
→ 2
2. Petal glands broadly transverse-oblong, extending nearly across lower portion of petal, depressed, strongly arched distally; petals densely bearded.
var. elegans
2. Petal glands shortly transverse-oblong, not depressed, straight or only slightly arched; petals only moderately bearded.
var. selwayensis
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 131. FNA vol. 26, p. 125.
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. minimus, C. monanthus, C. monophyllus, C. nitidus, C. nudus, C. nuttallii, C. obispoensis, C. palmeri, C. panamintensis, 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. 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. elegans var. elegans, C. elegans var. nanus, C. elegans var. selwayensis
Name authority Ownbey: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 448, plate 38, figs. 1, 2. (1940) Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. (1814)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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