Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus luteus

Calochortus excavatus

yellow mariposa, yellow mariposa lily

Inyo County star-tulip
Stems

slender, 2–5 dm.

slender, not branching, 1–3 dm.
Leaves

basal withering, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.

basal usually persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.
Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts 1–8 cm.

subumbellate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts paired, 3–8 cm.
Flowers

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate-oblong, attenuate, 2–3 cm;

petals deep yellow, usually streaked red-brown proximally, often with median red-brown blotch, cuneate to obovate, 2–4 cm, with a few slender hairs near gland;

glands ± lunate to oblong, not depressed, covered with short, matted hairs;

filaments 7–9 mm;

anthers linear-oblong, 4–6 mm, apex obtuse or acute.

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, lanceoloid-linear, angled, 3–6 cm.

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

light beige, flat.

light beige, translucent, flat.
2n

= 14, 28.

Calochortus luteus

Calochortus excavatus
Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Heavy soils in grasslands, open woodlands, mixed evergreen forests Grassy meadows in shadscale scrub
Elevation 0–700 m (0–2300 ft) 1200–2000 m (3900–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Coastal plants of Calochortus luteus are mostly triploid, while those of the interior are mostly diploid. Occasionally this species hybridizes with C. superbus.

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

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. 135. FNA vol. 26, p. 137.
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. invenustus, C. kennedyi, C. leichtlinii, C. longebarbatus, 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 lutea
Name authority Douglas ex Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 19: plate 1567. (1833) Greene: Pittonia 2: 71. (1890)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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