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

Plummer's mariposa-lily

Habit Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat fibrous-reticulate.
Stems

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

slender, usually branching, 3–6 dm.

Leaves

basal persistent, 1–4 dm;

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

basal withering;

blade linear to lanceolate, 2–4 dm.

Inflorescences

1–5-flowered.

2–6-flowered;

bracts resembling distal cauline leaves.

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, broadly campanulate;

sepals lanceolate, 3–5 cm, glabrous or with a few hairs at base, apex long-tapering;

petals pale pink to rose, drying purplish, broadly cuneate to obovate, 3–4 cm, glabrous distally or nearly so, rarely fringed, with conspicuous, long, yellow hairs in broad median band, margins dentate;

glands round, slightly depressed, ± glabrous, bordered by ring of dense, obscuring, orange hairs;

filaments 9–11 mm, ± equaling anthers;

anthers lanceolate-linear, apex acute to somewhat short-tipped.

Capsules

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

erect, linear, angled, 4–8 cm, apex acute.

Seeds

dark brown, irregular.

light beige.

2n

= 20.

= 18.

Calochortus pulchellus

Calochortus plummerae

Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Open places in woods, chaparral, typically on serpentine Dry rocky slopes, often in brush, chaparral, pine forest
Elevation 200–800 m (700–2600 ft) 0–1700 m (0–5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[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, p. 140.
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. 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. 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
Name authority (Bentham) Alph. Wood: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 20: 168. (1868) Greene: Pittonia 2: 70. (1890)
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