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clay mariposa, clay mariposa lily

Inyo County star-tulip

Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

not branching, 4–6 dm.

slender, not branching, 1–3 dm.

Leaves

basal withering, 2–3 dm;

blade linear.

basal usually persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–4-flowers;

bracts 2–8 cm.

subumbellate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts paired, 3–8 cm.

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.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, 2–3 cm, apex acuminate;

petals lavender, with longitudinal median abaxial green stripe, with or without blotches, broadly cuneate to obovate, 3–4 cm, with a few short hairs near gland;

glands round, depressed, surrounded by conspicuously fringed membrane, densely covered with short, distally branching hairs;

filaments 6–8 mm;

anthers red-brown, oblong, 7–10 mm, apex obtuse.

Capsules

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

erect, brown, lanceoloid-linear, 3-angled, 2–3 cm.

Seeds

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

light beige, translucent, flat.

2n

= 14.

Calochortus argillosus

Calochortus excavatus

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Hard clay soil of volcanic or metamorphic rock Grassy meadows in shadscale scrub
Elevation 0–400 m (0–1300 ft) 1200–2000 m (3900–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calochortus excavatus is found only in the eastern Sierra Nevada in Mono and Inyo counties. It is threatened by groundwater depletion.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 134. FNA vol. 26, p. 137.
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. 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. 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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