Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus umbellatus

Calochortus venustus

Oakland mariposa lily, Oakland star-tulip

butterfly mariposa lily, square mariposa tulip
Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

usually branching, 8–25 cm, not bearing bulblets.

usually branching, 1–6 dm.
Leaves

basal persistent, 2–4 dm;

blade lanceolate, flat;

cauline usually present.

basal withering, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.
Inflorescences

subumbellate, 3–12-flowered.

subumbellate, 1–6(–10)-flowered;

bracts 2–8 cm.
Flowers

± erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals 10–14 mm;

petals white to pale pink, usually with purple blotch near gland, widely obovate to cuneate, 12–18 mm, adaxial surface not ciliate, ± glabrous, margins irregularly dentate distally;

glands basally convex, covered by broad, ciliate membrane, bordered distally by short hairs;

filaments longer than anthers;

anthers oblong, apex acute or obtuse.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, 3–5 cm, apex recurved;

petals white to brightly or deeply yellow, purple, or dark red, with dark red median blotch, often with second paler distal blotch, obovate or cuneate to clawed, rounded, 3–5 cm, with scattered proximal hairs, apex retuse to obtuse;

glands in lower middle of petal, ± square, sometimes ovate, not depressed, covered with short, orange to red-purple hairs;

filaments usually equaling anthers;

anthers linear-lanceolate to oblong.
Capsules

nodding, 3-winged, 1–2 cm.

erect, linear, angled, 5–6 cm.
Seeds

dark brown, irregular.

light beige, ± flat, 4–6 mm.
2n

= 20.

= 14.

Calochortus umbellatus

Calochortus venustus
Phenology Flowering early spring–early summer. Flowering mid spring–mid summer.
Habitat Openings in chaparral or woods, often on serpentine Light sandy soil, often in decomposed granite in valley grassland, foothill woodland, and pine forest
Elevation 100–700 m (300–2300 ft) 300–2700 m (1000–8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calochortus umbellatus grows around San Francisco Bay. It is reported also from Lake County.

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

Flower color and pattern are very showy and exceedingly variable in Calochortus venustus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 127. 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. superbus, C. tiburonensis, C. tolmiei, 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. superbus, C. tiburonensis, C. tolmiei, C. umbellatus, C. umpquaensis, C. uniflorus, C. vestae, C. weedii, C. westonii
Synonyms Mariposa venusta
Name authority Alph. Wood: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 20: 168. (1868) Douglas ex Bentham: Trans. Hort. Soc. London, ser. 2, 1: 412, plate 15, fig. 3. (1835)
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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