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California fawn-lily

Bulbs

ovoid, 35–60 mm, sometimes producing sessile offsets.

Leaves

7–18 cm;

blade distinctly mottled with irregular streaks of brown or white, oblong to narrowly ovate, margins usually wavy.

Scape

± reddish, branched well above leaves when flowers more than 1, 10–30 cm.

Inflorescences

1–3-flowered.

Flowers

flowering individuals generally abundant in populations;

tepals white to cream, base yellow and often banded with brown or red, ± narrowly ovate, 25–40 mm, inner with small auricles at base;

stamens 12–25 mm;

filaments ± white, linear, slender, less than 0.8 mm wide;

anthers white to cream;

style ± white, 10–14 mm;

stigma unlobed or with lobes less than 2 mm.

Capsules

obovoid, 3–6 cm.

2n

= 24.

Erythronium californicum

Phenology Flowering spring (Mar–Apr).
Habitat Dry woods, openings, cliffs
Elevation 0–1900 m (0–6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Forms intermediate with Erythronium citrinum and E. multiscapideum are sometimes seen where ranges overlap.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 160.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Erythronium
Sibling taxa
E. albidum, E. americanum, E. citrinum, E. elegans, E. grandiflorum, E. helenae, E. hendersonii, E. klamathense, E. mesochoreum, E. montanum, E. multiscapideum, E. oregonum, E. pluriflorum, E. propullans, E. purpurascens, E. pusaterii, E. quinaultense, E. revolutum, E. rostratum, E. taylorii, E. tuolumnense, E. umbilicatum
Name authority Purdy: Fl. & Sylva 2: 253. (1904)
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