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purple fawn lily, Sierra Nevada fawn-lily

California fawn-lily

Bulbs

slender, 25–40 mm.

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

Leaves

6–15 cm;

blade green, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, margins ± wavy.

7–18 cm;

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

Scape

7–20 cm.

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

Inflorescences

1–6-flowered.

1–3-flowered.

Flowers

tepals white, bright yellow on proximal 1/3, pinkish purple in age, lanceolate, 10–20 mm, not auriculate at base;

stamens 8–12 mm;

filaments yellow, slender;

anthers cream to yellow;

style yellow, 4–5 mm;

stigma ± unlobed.

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, 2–4 cm.

obovoid, 3–6 cm.

2n

= 24.

Erythronium purpurascens

Erythronium californicum

Phenology Flowering summer, soon after snowmelt (Jun–Aug). Flowering spring (Mar–Apr).
Habitat Open coniferous forests, meadows, rocky places Dry woods, openings, cliffs
Elevation 1500–2700 m (4900–8900 ft) 0–1900 m (0–6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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. 159. FNA vol. 26, p. 160.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Erythronium Liliaceae > Erythronium
Sibling taxa
E. albidum, E. americanum, E. californicum, 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. pusaterii, E. quinaultense, E. revolutum, E. rostratum, E. taylorii, E. tuolumnense, E. umbilicatum
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 S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 277. (1877) Purdy: Fl. & Sylva 2: 253. (1904)
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