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Calochortus subalpinus

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

Coast Range mariposa lily

Habit Plants strongly bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

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

usually branching, straight, 3–5 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.

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 2–5 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 linear-lanceolate, attenuate, 2–3 cm;

petals white to purplish, streaked red to purple proximal to gland, with median red-brown blotch surrounded by pale yellow zone, cuneate to obovate, 3–4 cm, with a few short hairs near gland, apex rounded;

glands ± doubly lunate, not depressed, densely covered with short hairs;

filaments equaling anthers;

anthers oblong-linear, apex obtuse or acute.

Capsules

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

erect, linear, angled, 4–7 cm, apex acute.

Seeds

pale yellow.

light beige, flat, 4–6 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 28.

Calochortus subalpinus

Calochortus vestae

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Open forest in loose volcanic soils Heavy clay soils in mixed evergreen and pine forests
Elevation 1000–2200 m (3300–7200 ft) 500–900 m (1600–3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 126. FNA vol. 26, p. 135.
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. 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. weedii, C. westonii
Synonyms C. lobbii
Name authority Piper: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 11: 195. (1906) Purdy: Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 18: 14. (1895)
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