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Calochortus subalpinus

Cascade mariposa lily, cat's ear lily, mountain cat's ear, mountain mariposa, subalpine mariposa-lily

Panamint mariposa-lily, Panamint Mountain mariposa lily

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

usually not branching, straight or flexuous, often scapelike, 0.5–3 dm.

usually not branching or twisted, 4–6 dm.

Leaves

basal 1–3 dm × 2–15 mm, usually equaling or exceeding stem length;

blade flat, adaxial surface glabrous.

basal withering, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–5-flowered;

bracts 2–several, lanceolate to linear, unequal, 1–5 cm, apex acuminate;

peduncle slender, becoming stouter, deflexed in fruit.

1–4-flowered;

bracts 2–4 cm.

Flowers

erect or spreading;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals typically with purple glandular blotch near base, oblong-lanceolate, shorter than petals, adaxial surface minutely hairy, apex acute to acuminate;

petals yellowish white, sometimes lavender-tinged, frequently with narrow purple crescent distal to gland, broadly obovate, cuneate, moderately bearded nearly to apex, adaxial surface densely hairy, margins fringed, apex obtuse or acute;

glands transversely oblong, arched upward, ± deeply depressed, bordered proximally by narrow, ascending, deeply fringed membrane, distally by narrow, crenate membranes, gland surface with rather long, slender hairs toward distal portion;

anthers lanceolate, apex long-apiculate.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals with dark purple or red blotch near base, lanceolate, 1–4 cm, apex acuminate;

petals white tinged with lilac, with longitudinal median green stripe on abaxial surface, not spotted, narrowly obovate, 2–4 cm, ± glabrous;

glands surrounded by red or purple border, round, depressed, surrounded by conspicuously fringed membrane, densely covered with short, unbranched or distally branching hairs;

filaments ca. 6 mm;

anthers bluish, oblong, 5–7 mm, ± glabrous, apex obtuse.

Capsules

nodding, 3-winged, ellipsoid, apex usually acute.

erect, tan to brown, linear-lanceoloid, angled, ca. 7 cm, apex acuminate.

Seeds

pale yellow.

light yellow, flat.

2n

= 20.

= 14.

Calochortus subalpinus

Calochortus panamintensis

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering early–mid summer.
Habitat Open forest in loose volcanic soils Dry rocky slopes in pinyon-juniper woodland
Elevation 1000–2200 m (3300–7200 ft) 2300–3200 m (7500–10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calochortus panamintensis is restricted to the Panamint Mountains, Inyo County.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 126. 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. striatus, 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. 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 C. lobbii C. nuttallii var. panamintensis
Name authority Piper: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 11: 195. (1906) (Ownbey) Reveal: in A. Cronquist et al., Intermount. Fl. 6: 501. (1977)
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