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foothill mariposa lily, Weed's mariposa, Weed's mariposa lily

Calochortus howellii

Howell's mariposa lily

Habit Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat fibrous-reticulate.
Stems

slender, usually branching, 3–9 dm.

slender, not branching or rarely branching in axil of cauline leaf, straight, 2–4 dm.

Leaves

basal withering, 2–4 dm;

blade linear to lanceolate.

basal persistent, 20–35 cm;

blade gradually tapering distally, adaxially pubescent.

Inflorescences

2–6-flowered;

bracts resembling distal cauline leaves.

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 2, subopposite, linear to narrowly lanceolate, attenuate, 1–3 cm.

Flowers

erect;

perianth open, broadly campanulate;

sepals ovate to lanceolate, attenuate, 2–3 cm;

petals orange-yellow, flecked, broadly cuneate or obovate, ca. 2–3 cm, adaxially bearded with long yellow hairs, margins often red-brown, dentate or fringed;

glands round, slightly depressed, ± glabrous, surrounded by ring of long, dense, obscuring yellow hairs;

filaments 8–12 mm;

anthers lanceolate-oblong, apex acute.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals shorter than petals, ovate-acuminate, glabrous;

petals yellowish white, with purplish hairs toward base, broadly obovate, cuneate, inconspicuously fringed laterally, sparingly short-hairy adaxially, apex rounded;

glands transversely oblong, slightly depressed, densely covered with short, distally branching hairs, the bases of which unite at lower margin to form inconspicuous, discontinuous membranes;

filaments shorter than anthers;

anthers oblong-lanceolate, apex acute to short-apiculate.

Capsules

erect, linear, angled, 4–5 cm, apex acute.

erect, 3-winged, ellipsoid, ca. 2 cm, base and apex acute.

Seeds

light beige.

light-colored, irregular.

2n

= 18.

= 20.

Calochortus weedii

Calochortus howellii

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Dry, rocky, serpentine soils
Elevation 300–500 m (1000–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 4 (3 in the flora).

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

Calochortus howellii is known only from the Illinois River valley, Josephine County.

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

Key
1. Petals deep yellow.
var. weedii
1. Petals purplish or cream to red-brown.
→ 2
2. Petals purplish, apex rounded; anther apex rounded.
var. intermedius
2. Petals usually cream or red-brown, never purplish, apex squarish; anther apex abruptly apiculate.
var. vestus
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 141. FNA vol. 26, p. 129.
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. umbellatus, C. umpquaensis, C. uniflorus, C. venustus, C. vestae, 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. 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. weedii var. intermedius, C. weedii var. vestus, C. weedii var. weedii
Name authority Alph. Wood: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 20: 169. (1868) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 23: 266. (1888)
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