Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus pulchellus

Calochortus aureus

Mount Diablo fairy-lantern, Mt. Diablo fairy-lantern

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

usually branching distal to base, 1–3 dm, not glaucous.

usually not branching or twisted, 1–3 dm.
Leaves

basal persistent, 1–4 dm;

blade green, lanceolate, tapering at base, flat, not glaucous.

basal withering, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.
Inflorescences

1–5-flowered.

erect, subumbellate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts unequal at base of inflorescence, 1–6 cm.
Flowers

nodding;

perianth closed at apex, ± globular;

sepals spreading, yellow-green, ovate to lanceolate, 2–3 cm, glabrous, apex acuminate;

petals pale yellow, lanceolate, 3–5 cm, conspicuously fringed with short, thick hairs, adaxial surface glabrous or sparsely hairy, apex obtuse;

glands deeply depressed, bordered distally by long, slender hairs;

filaments 6–8 mm;

anthers oblong, 3–5 mm, apex obtuse or acute.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals with maroon blotch distal to gland, broadly lanceolate, 1–4 cm, apex acuminate;

petals lemon yellow, with maroon blotch distal to gland, broadly obovate, cuneate, 3–3.5 cm, ± glabrous or with a few lemon-yellow hairs near gland;

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

filaments ca. equaling anthers;

anthers yellowish cream, oblong, apex obtuse.
Capsules

nodding, winged, ellipsoid-oblong, 2–4 cm.

erect, light tan to light brown, linear-lanceoloid, 3-angled, ca. 2.5–5 cm, apex acuminate.
Seeds

dark brown, irregular.

light yellow, flat.
2n

= 20.

= 32.

Calochortus pulchellus

Calochortus aureus
Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Open places in woods, chaparral, typically on serpentine Dry sandy–clayey places
Elevation 200–800 m (700–2600 ft) 1200–2000 m (3900–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Calochortus pulchellus is known from Mt. Diablo, Contra Costa County.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 123. FNA vol. 26.
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. monanthus, C. monophyllus, C. nitidus, C. nudus, C. nuttallii, C. obispoensis, C. palmeri, C. panamintensis, C. persistens, C. plummerae, 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. 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
Synonyms Cyclobothra pulchella C. nuttallii var. aureus
Name authority (Bentham) Alph. Wood: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 20: 168. (1868) S. Watson: Amer. Naturalist 7: 303. (1873)
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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