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Shasta River mariposa lily, single-flower mariposa-lily

Calochortus macrocarpus

green-banded star-tulip, sagebrush mariposa-lily

Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous. Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

not branching, straight.

usually not branching, stout, 2–5 dm.

Leaves

basal withering;

blade linear-attenuate.

basal withering, 0.5–1 dm;

blade linear.

Inflorescences

1-flowered, long-peduncled;

bracts opposite.

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 3–5 cm.

Flowers

erect;

perianth open, turbinate to campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, attenuate, ca. 4 cm;

petals pinkish, with chevron-shaped, dark red blotch distal to gland, obovate, cuneate, rounded, ca. 5 cm, with few flexible hairs near gland, margins irregularly dentate distally;

glands oblong, not depressed, densely covered with slender, unbranched hairs;

filaments lanceolate-linear, shorter than anthers;

anthers short-tipped.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, 4–5 cm, apex acuminate;

petals purple, with median green stripe on abaxial surface, obovate, 4–6 cm, bearded distal to gland, apex acuminate;

glands triangular-sagittate, slightly depressed, densely covered with slender hairs;

filaments 8–9 mm;

anthers lanceolate-linear, ca. 1 cm, apex obtuse.

Capsules

erect, linear, angled.

erect, lanceoloid-linear, angled, 4–5 cm, apex acuminate.

Seeds

unknown.

flat, inflated.

2n

= 14.

Calochortus monanthus

Calochortus macrocarpus

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Vernal meadows
Elevation 800 m (2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
w North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calochortus monanthus is known only from a single collection from meadow along the Shasta River, near Yreka, Siskiyou County, by E. L. Greene in June, 1876. It is presumed extinct.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Petals purple, with or without dark purple band distal to gland.
var. macrocarpus
1. Petals white, with reddish purple crescent distal to gland.
var. maculosus
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 133. FNA vol. 26, p. 136.
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. luteus, C. lyallii, C. macrocarpus, C. minimus, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
C. macrocarpus var. macrocarpus, C. macrocarpus var. maculosus
Synonyms Mariposa macrocarpa
Name authority Ownbey: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 465, plate 39, figs. 3, 4. (1940) Douglas: Trans. Hort. Soc. London 7: 276, plate 8. (1828)
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