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Gunnison's mariposa lily

cedars fairy lantern, cedars mariposa lily, The Cedars fairy-lantern

Habit Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat, when present, membranous.
Stems

not branching, straight, 2.4–5.5 dm.

usually not branching distal to base, 1–10 dm, conspicuously glaucous.

Leaves

basal withering, 18–35 cm;

blade linear.

basal 3–4 dm;

blade linear, attenuate, channeled, conspicuously glaucous.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered.

1–2-flowered;

bracts paired, opposite.

Flowers

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals marked similar to petals, lanceolate, usually much shorter, glabrous, apex acute;

petals white to purple, greenish adaxially, clawed, often with narrow, transverse purple band distal to gland and purple blotch on claw, obovate, cuneate, usually obtuse and rounded distally;

glands transversely oblong, not depressed, densely bearded with distally branching hairs, outermost of which somewhat connate at base to form discontinuous, deeply fringed membranes;

filaments shorter than anthers;

anthers lanceolate, apex acute to apiculate.

nodding;

perianth ± closed at apex, ± oblong;

sepals appressed to petals, grayish mauve to pale green, broadly lanceolate, 1–2.5 cm, glabrous, apex acuminate;

petals pale yellow, obovate, 2–4.5 cm, adaxial surface moderately hairy from gland to apex, margins moderately ciliate to apex, apex acuminate to acute;

glands depressed, with long, thin, distal hairs;

filaments 7–9 mm;

anthers ± oblong, 6 mm, apex obtuse.

Capsules

erect, linear-oblong, 3-angled, 3–6 cm, apex acute.

nodding, ridged, not winged, oblong, 2–4 cm, apex acute.

Seeds

flat, inflated.

dark brown, irregular.

2n

= 18.

Calochortus gunnisonii

Calochortus raichei

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Exposed serpentine soil in open woodlands
Elevation less than 300 m (less than 1000 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
wc North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Of conservation concern.

Calochortus raichei is known only from the headwaters area of Big Austin Creek, Sonoma County. It is threatened by mining activities.

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

Key
1. Petals white to purple, occasionally yellow; w United States.
var. gunnisonii
1. Petals pale yellow; New Mexico only.
var. perpulcher
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 140. FNA vol. 26, p. 124.
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. 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. 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. 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. gunnisonii var. gunnisonii, C. gunnisonii var. perpulcher
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 348. (1871) Farwig & V. Girard: Herbertia 43(1): 3, figs. 1, 2. (1987)
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