The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

plain mariposa, plain mariposa lily

Catalina mariposa, Catalina mariposa-lily, Santa Catalina mariposa lily

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

slender, usually not branching or twisted, 2–5 dm.

usually branching distally, ± flexuous, 2–6 dm.

Leaves

basal withering, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.

basal withering, 1–3 dm;

blade linear.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–5-flowered;

bracts 2–5 cm.

1–few-flowered;

bracts opposite pedicel, 2–10 cm.

Flowers

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate-ovate, 2–3 cm, apex acuminate;

petals white or dull lavender to purplish, with longitudinal median green stripe on adaxial surface and sometimes purplish blotch proximal to gland, cuneate to obovate, 2–4 cm, with a few short hairs near gland, apex obtuse to apiculate;

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

filaments 6–7 mm;

anthers purplish or yellowish, oblong, 7–8 mm, apex obtuse.

erect;

perianth open, broadly campanulate;

sepals with purple blotch near base, lanceolate, 2–3 cm, apex acuminate;

petals white tinged with lilac, with purple blotch near base, usually obovate, ± concave, 2–5 cm, glabrous except few hairs near base, apex obtuse;

glands oblong, not depressed, densely hairy, hairs branching;

filaments 8–10 mm;

anthers lilac, oblong, 4–5 mm.

Capsules

erect, lanceoloid-linear, angled, 5–7 cm, apex acute.

erect, narrow-oblong, rounded in cross section, 2–5 cm, apex obtuse.

Seeds

flat.

light yellow, translucent, flat.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Calochortus invenustus

Calochortus catalinae

Phenology Flowering late spring–late summer. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Dry soil, usually granitic, usually in montane coniferous forests Heavy soil, open grassy slopes, openings in brush
Elevation 1500–3000 m (4900–9800 ft) less than 700 m (less than 2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calochortus catalinae is increasingly threatened by habitat loss.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 137. FNA vol. 26, p. 131.
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. gunnisonii, C. howellii, C. indecorus, 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. 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 catalinae
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 2: 71. (1890) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 268. (1879)
Web links