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Calochortus persistens

Siskiyou mariposa-lily

superb mariposa lily, yellow mariposa

Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

not branching, ca. 1 dm.

4–6 dm.

Leaves

basal persistent, ca. 2 dm;

blade lanceolate, tapering at base, flat.

basal withering, 2–3 dm;

blade linear.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 2-flowered.

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 2–8 cm.

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;

perianth open, campanulate, each member with median brown or purple blotch surrounded by bright yellow zone;

sepals lanceolate, attenuate, 2–4 cm;

petals white to yellowish or lavender, usually streaked with purple toward base, obovate to cuneate, rounded, 2–4 cm, with a few short hairs near gland, apex retuse to obtuse;

glands linear, strongly chevron-shaped to weakly lunate, not depressed, densely covered with short hairs;

filaments 7–9 mm;

anthers lanceolate-linear to oblong, 8–10 mm, apex acute to obtuse.

Capsules

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

erect, linear, angled, 5–6 cm, apex acute.

Seeds

irregular.

2n

= 20.

= 12, 14, 20, 26.

Calochortus persistens

Calochortus superbus

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Open areas in rocky soils Open slopes, dry meadows or wooded places in valley grassland, foothill woodland, pine forest
Elevation 1000–1500 m (3300–4900 ft) 0–1700 m (0–5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 131. FNA vol. 26, p. 134.
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. 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. tiburonensis, C. tolmiei, C. umbellatus, C. umpquaensis, C. uniflorus, C. venustus, C. vestae, C. weedii, C. westonii
Synonyms Mariposa superba
Name authority Ownbey: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 448, plate 38, figs. 1, 2. (1940) Purdy ex J. T. Howell: Leafl. W. Bot. 1: 11. (1932)
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