Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus superbus

Calochortus argillosus

superb mariposa lily, yellow mariposa

clay mariposa, clay mariposa lily
Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous. Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

4–6 dm.

not branching, 4–6 dm.
Leaves

basal withering, 2–3 dm;

blade linear.

basal withering, 2–3 dm;

blade linear.
Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 2–8 cm.

subumbellate, 1–4-flowers;

bracts 2–8 cm.
Flowers

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.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, 2–4 cm, apex acute to acuminate;

petals white to purple, with median red blotch often surrounded by pale yellow, obovate to cuneate, rounded, 2–4 cm, with a few short hairs near gland, apex retuse to obtuse;

glands arched, transversely oblong to weakly lunate or ± rectangular, not depressed, densely covered with short hairs;

filaments 7–9 mm;

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

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

erect, narrowly lanceoloid, stout, 4–6 cm.
Seeds

light beige, lanceolate, flat, 5–6 mm.
2n

= 12, 14, 20, 26.

= 14.

Calochortus superbus

Calochortus argillosus
Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Open slopes, dry meadows or wooded places in valley grassland, foothill woodland, pine forest Hard clay soil of volcanic or metamorphic rock
Elevation 0–1700 m (0–5600 ft) 0–400 m (0–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 134. 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. 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
C. albus, C. amabilis, C. ambiguus, C. amoenus, C. apiculatus, 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. superbus, C. tiburonensis, C. tolmiei, C. umbellatus, C. umpquaensis, C. uniflorus, C. venustus, C. vestae, C. weedii, C. westonii
Synonyms Mariposa superba Mariposa argillosa
Name authority Purdy ex J. T. Howell: Leafl. W. Bot. 1: 11. (1932) (Hoover) Zebell & P. L. Fiedler: Madroño 39: 306. (1992)
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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