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clay mariposa, clay mariposa lily

purple fairy-lantern

Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

not branching, 4–6 dm.

branching, 2–5 dm.

Leaves

basal withering, 2–3 dm;

blade linear.

basal persistent, 2–5 dm;

blade linear, flat.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–4-flowers;

bracts 2–8 cm.

2–many-flowered.

Flowers

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.

nodding;

perianth closed at apex, globular;

sepals spreading, lanceolate, 10–15 mm, glabrous, apex acute;

petals rose, elliptic-obovate, 16–25 mm, margins sparsely ciliate and hairy;

glands ± depressed, with 4–5 ciliate membranes, proximal membrane ± equaling petal width;

filaments equaling anthers;

anthers oblong, apex obtuse.

Capsules

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

nodding, narrowly winged, oblong, 2–3 cm, apex obtuse or acute.

Seeds

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

dark brown, irregular.

2n

= 14.

= 20.

Calochortus argillosus

Calochortus amoenus

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering mid spring–mid summer.
Habitat Hard clay soil of volcanic or metamorphic rock Grassy slopes in partial shade
Elevation 0–400 m (0–1300 ft) 500–1500 m (1600–4900 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. 122.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Calochortus Liliaceae > Calochortus
Sibling taxa
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
C. albus, C. amabilis, C. ambiguus, 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. weedii, C. westonii
Synonyms Mariposa argillosa
Name authority (Hoover) Zebell & P. L. Fiedler: Madroño 39: 306. (1992) Greene: Pittonia 2: 71. (1890)
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