Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus striatus

Calochortus excavatus

alkali mariposa-lily

Inyo County star-tulip
Habit Plants not bulbose.
Stems

1–5 cm.

slender, not branching, 1–3 dm.
Leaves

basal withering, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.

basal usually persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.
Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–5-flowered;

bracts linear, 1–3 cm.

subumbellate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts paired, 3–8 cm.
Flowers

erect;

perianth open, campanulate, narrow at base;

sepals lanceolate, 1–2 cm, apex acuminate;

petals white to lavender, with conspicuous purple striping, obovate to cuneate, rounded, 2–3 cm, sparsely hairy around gland, margins irregularly dentate distally;

glands oblong, not depressed, covered with linear hairs;

filaments 5–7 mm;

anthers oblong, 4–6 mm.

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, linear, angled, 4–5 cm.

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

light-colored, flat.

light beige, translucent, flat.

Calochortus striatus

Calochortus excavatus
Phenology Flowering mid spring–early summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Alkaline meadows, springy places in creosote bush scrub Grassy meadows in shadscale scrub
Elevation 300–1400 m (1000–4600 ft) 1200–2000 m (3900–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

(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. 133. 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. 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. 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
Name authority Parish: Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 122. (1902) 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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