Calochortus
Encyclopedia
Calochortus is a genus of bulbous plant
s that includes 70 species from British Columbia
to Guatemala
and east to Nebraska
. Calochortus is the most widely dispersed genus of Liliaceae
on the North American Pacific coast. Of these, 28 species are endemic
to California
. The genus Calochortus includes Mariposas (or Mariposa lilies) with open wedge-shaped petals, Globe lilies and Fairy lanterns with globe-shaped flowers, and Cat's ears and Star tulips with erect pointed petals. The word Calochortus is derived from Greek and means "beautiful grass".
Calochortus produce one or more flowers on a stem that arises from the bulb, generally in the spring or early summer. Unlike most other Liliaceae
, Calochortus petals differ in size and color from their sepal
s. Flowers can be white, yellow, pink, purple, bluish, or streaked. The insides of the petals are often highly hairy. These hairs, along with the nectaries, are often used in distinguishing species from each other.
Calochortus nuttallii
, the Sego Lily, is the official state flower of Utah
.
. They were also eaten by the Mormon
settlers in Utah
during the first winter or two because of crop failures during the first few years of settlement in the Great Salt Lake Valley.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s that includes 70 species from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and east to Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. Calochortus is the most widely dispersed genus of Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
on the North American Pacific coast. Of these, 28 species are endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The genus Calochortus includes Mariposas (or Mariposa lilies) with open wedge-shaped petals, Globe lilies and Fairy lanterns with globe-shaped flowers, and Cat's ears and Star tulips with erect pointed petals. The word Calochortus is derived from Greek and means "beautiful grass".
Calochortus produce one or more flowers on a stem that arises from the bulb, generally in the spring or early summer. Unlike most other Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
, Calochortus petals differ in size and color from their sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s. Flowers can be white, yellow, pink, purple, bluish, or streaked. The insides of the petals are often highly hairy. These hairs, along with the nectaries, are often used in distinguishing species from each other.
Calochortus nuttallii
Calochortus nuttallii
The Sego Lily, Calochortus nuttallii, is a bulbous perennial which is endemic to the Western United States. It is the state flower of Utah.-Description:...
, the Sego Lily, is the official state flower of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Habitat
In 1998, T.B. Patterson conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the genus, dividing it into seven main clades. The study indicated highly localized speciation, so that different clades were strongly linked to specific habitats, as follows:- Mariposas: dry grasslands and semideserts
- Star-tulips: wet meadows
- Cat’s ears: montane woodlands
- Fairy lanterns: closed forests.
Uses
The bulbs of many species were eaten by Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. They were also eaten by the Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
settlers in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
during the first winter or two because of crop failures during the first few years of settlement in the Great Salt Lake Valley.
Species list
This list comprises the species found in the United States. Some species are restricted to Mexico and Guatemala.- Calochortus albusCalochortus albusCalochortus albus, also known as the Globe Lily or Fairy Lantern, as well as other names including Satin Bells, White Globe Tulip, Alabaster Tulip, and Indian Bells, is a California native plant in the Calochortus genus.-External links:...
white globelily - Calochortus amabilisCalochortus amabilisCalochortus amabilis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by the common name Diogenes' lantern. It is endemic to northern California, where it grows in the mountains north of the San Francisco Bay Area. In oak woodlands common understory plant associates are Calochortus...
short lily - Calochortus ambiguus doubting Mariposa lily
- Calochortus amoenusCalochortus amoenusCalochortus amoenus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is commonly known as purple fairy-lantern. It is endemic to the slopes of the Sierra Nevada foothills of central California.-Description:...
purple globelily - Calochortus apiculatus pointedtip Mariposa lily
- Calochortus argillosusCalochortus argillosusCalochortus argillosus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by the common name clay mariposa lily. It is endemic to coastal central California, where it grows in hard clay soils in the local mountains. This is a perennial herb producing an unbranching stem to heights...
- Calochortus aureus golden Mariposa lily
- Calochortus barbatus yellow globe lily
- Calochortus bruneaunisCalochortus bruneaunisCalochortus bruneaunis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by the common name Bruneau mariposa lily. It is native to the western United States from California to Montana, where it generally grows in dry, brushy areas. This is a perennial herb producing a mostly...
Bruneau Mariposa lily - Calochortus catalinaeCalochortus catalinaeCalochortus catalinae is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name Santa Catalina mariposa lily. It is endemic to Southern California where it is found along the coastline, and especially on the Channel Islands. This plant produces long basal leaves and tall, branching stems up to 60...
Santa Catalina Mariposa lily -threatened by development - Calochortus clavatusCalochortus clavatusCalochortus clavatus is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name clubhair mariposa lily. It is endemic to California where it is found in forests and on chaparral slopes. This lily produces tall stems up to a meter in height and only basal leaves. Atop the stem is a lily bloom with...
clubhair Mariposa lily- Calochortus clavatus var. avius -rare,
- Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis
- Calochortus clavatus ssp. clavatus
- Calochortus clavatus ssp. pallidus
- Calochortus clavatus ssp. recurvifolius -rare
- Calochortus coeruleus beavertail grass
- Calochortus concolorCalochortus concolorCalochortus concolor is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name goldenbowl Mariposa lily. It is native to the mountains of southern California and northern Baja California, where it grows in the chaparral and forests of the slopes. It is a perennial herb growing an...
goldenbowl Mariposa lily - Calochortus coxii Cox's Mariposa lily
- Calochortus dunniiCalochortus dunniiCalochortus dunnii is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Dunn's Mariposa lily. It is native to Baja California and San Diego County in California, where it is known from only a few occurrences in the chaparral and forests of the local mountain ranges. It...
Dunn's Mariposa lily -rare - Calochortus elegansCalochortus elegansCalochortus elegans is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name elegant Mariposa lily and cat's ear. It is native to the western United States from northern California to Montana. It is a perennial herb producing a slender, generally unbranched stem up to 15...
northwestern Mariposa lily; star tulip- Calochortus elegans var. elegans elegant Mariposa lily
- Calochortus elegans var. nanus
- Calochortus elegans var. oreophilus elegant Mariposa lily
- Calochortus elegans var. selwayensis Selway Mariposa lily
- Calochortus eurycarpus white Mariposa lily
- Calochortus excavatusCalochortus excavatusCalochortus excavatus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Inyo County star-tulip. It is endemic to California, where it is known from several reduced and threatened populations in Mono and Inyo Counties. It occupies grassy habitat in alkaline scrub alongside...
Inyo Mariposa lily -threatened by groundwater development - Calochortus fimbriatusCalochortus fimbriatusCalochortus fimbriatus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Late-blooming mariposa lily. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of southern Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and northern Ventura counties, where it is a member of the chaparral flora...
late-blooming Mariposa lily -rare - Calochortus flexuosusCalochortus flexuosusCalochortus flexuosus is a species of lily known by the common names winding Mariposa lily and straggling Mariposa lily. This is a wildflower native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico where it is most often found in desert scrub, growing up through low shrubs. This lily is mainly...
winding Mariposa lily - Calochortus greeneiCalochortus greeneiCalochortus greenei is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Greene's mariposa lily. It is native to northern California and southern Oregon, where it grows in the forest and woodlands of the mountains. It is a perennial herb which produces a branching stem up to...
Green's Mariposa lily -rare - Calochortus gunnisonii Gunnison's Mariposa lily
- Calochortus gunnisonii var. gunnisonii
- Calochortus gunnisonii var. perpulcher
- Calochortus howellii Howell's Mariposa lily
- Calochortus indecorus Sexton Mountain Mariposa lily
- Calochortus invenustusCalochortus invenustusCalochortus invenustus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name plain mariposa lily. It is native to the mountain ranges of California, where it grows in the coniferous forests. Its range may extend just into Nevada. It is a perennial herb which produces a...
plain Mariposa lily - Calochortus kennedyiCalochortus kennedyiCalochortus kennedyi is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name desert mariposa lily. It is native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is a perennial herb which produces a slender, unbranching, sometimes twisting stem up to...
desert Mariposa lily- Calochortus kennedyi var. kennedyi
- Calochortus kennedyi var. munzii
- Calochortus leichtliniiCalochortus leichtliniiCalochortus leichtlinii is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names Leichtlin's Mariposa and smokey mariposa. It is native to the Sierra Nevada and Modoc Plateau of California and adjacent parts of Oregon and Nevada. It grows in coniferous forest and chaparral...
smokey Mariposa - Calochortus longebarbatus longbeard Mariposa lily
- Calochortus longebarbatus var. longebarbatus - threatened by grazing
- Calochortus longebarbatus var. peckii
- Calochortus luteusCalochortus luteusCalochortus luteus, or Yellow mariposa lily, is a mariposa lily endemic to California.-Description:The primarily a bright deep yellow flower is 3-5cm across and perianth Bulb-shaped, lined red-brown inside, often also with central red-brown blotch and sparse hair inside.-Distribution:This species...
yellow Mariposa lily - Calochortus lyallii Lyall's Mariposa lily
- Calochortus macrocarpusCalochortus macrocarpusCalochortus macrocarpus, also known as sagebrush mariposa lily, occurs in northwestern United States and a small part of southern British Columbia. The leaves are blue-green and grass-like. The flowers are large, bloom in June, are three-petaled, and are pink and purple. The bulbs are tapering,...
sagebrush Mariposa lily- Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus
- Calochortus macrocarpus var. maculosus Nez Perce Mariposa lily
- Calochortus minimusCalochortus minimusCalochortus minimus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Sierra mariposa lily.-Distribution:...
Sierran Mariposa lily - Calochortus monanthusCalochortus monanthusCalochortus monanthus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names single-flowered mariposa lily and Shasta River mariposa lily. It is presumed extinct, having been collected and documented once over a century ago and never found again...
Shasta River Mariposa lily -presumed extinct - Calochortus monophyllusCalochortus monophyllusCalochortus monophyllus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name yellow star-tulip. It is native to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and southernmost Cascades in California, its range probably extending north just into Oregon. It is a perennial herb producing a...
yellow startulip - Calochortus nitidus broadfruit Mariposa lily
- Calochortus nudusCalochortus nudusCalochortus nudus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name naked mariposa lily. It is native to the mountains of northern California and southern Oregon, where it grows in wet areas such as meadows and lakeside bogs. It is a perennial producing an unbranching stem...
naked Mariposa lily - Calochortus nuttalliiCalochortus nuttalliiThe Sego Lily, Calochortus nuttallii, is a bulbous perennial which is endemic to the Western United States. It is the state flower of Utah.-Description:...
sego lily - Calochortus obispoensisCalochortus obispoensisCalochortus obispoensis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name San Luis mariposa lily. It is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it grows in the chaparral of the coastal mountains, generally on serpentine soils.-Description:It is a perennial...
San Luis Mariposa lily - Calochortus palmeriCalochortus palmeriCalochortus palmeri is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Palmer's mariposa lily. It is endemic to California, where it is distributed mostly throughout the coastal mountain ranges from the Los Angeles area to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a perennial herb...
Palmer's Mariposa lily- Calochortus palmeri var. munzii Munz's Mariposa lily
- Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri -rare
- Calochortus panamintensisCalochortus panamintensisCalochortus panamintensis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Panamint mariposa lily. It is endemic to Inyo County, California, where it is known only from the Panamint Range near Death Valley. Its range may technically extend just into Nevada. It is a...
Panamint Mountain Mariposa lily -rare - Calochortus persistensCalochortus persistensCalochortus persistens is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Siskiyou mariposa lily. It is native to northern California and southern Oregon, where it is known from a few populations on two peaks of the Klamath Mountains straddling the state border...
Siskiyou Mariposa lily -rare - Calochortus plummeraeCalochortus plummeraeCalochortus plummerae is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name Plummer's mariposa lily. It is endemic to Southern California where it is found along the coast and inland hills. It is a member of the chaparral plant community. It produces thin, branching stems and a few long curling...
Plummer's Mariposa lily -rare - Calochortus pulchellusCalochortus pulchellusCalochortus pulchellus is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Mt. Diablo fairy-lantern. It is endemic to California, where it is mainly restricted to Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County. There are historical occurrences in surrounding counties. It grows in...
Mount Diablo globelily - Calochortus raicheiCalochortus raicheiCalochortus raichei is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Cedars fairy-lantern, or Cedars mariposa lily. It is endemic to Sonoma County, California, where it is known only from The Cedars, an unincorporated area outside Guerneville near Cazadero...
Cedars Mariposa lily - Calochortus simulansCalochortus simulansCalochortus simulans is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name San Luis Obispo mariposa lily, not to be confused with the San Luis mariposa lily C. obispoensis. It is native to San Luis Obispo County, California, and its range extends south into Santa Barbara County...
San Luis Obispo Mariposa lily - Calochortus splendensCalochortus splendensCalochortus splendens is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name splendid mariposa lily. It is native to western California and Baja California, in chaparral and woodland habitats.-Description:...
splendid Mariposa lily - Calochortus striatusCalochortus striatusCalochortus striatus is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name alkali mariposa lily. It is native to California and Nevada where it grows in the Mojave Desert....
alkali Mariposa lily - Calochortus subalpinus Alpine Pussy Ears, Cascade Mariposa Lily, Cat's Ear Lily
- Calochortus superbusCalochortus superbusCalochortus superbus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name superb mariposa lily. It is endemic to California, where it is a common member of the flora in several types of habitat statewide. It is a perennial herb growing up to 40 to 60 centimeters tall with a...
Superb Mariposa - Calochortus syntrophusCalochortus syntrophusCalochortus syntrophus is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names Callahan's Mariposa lily and clustered Mariposa lily. It is endemic to northern California, where it occurs in a remote area north of Montgomery Creek in Shasta County. It has also been spotted...
Callahan's Mariposa Lily - Calochortus tiburonensisCalochortus tiburonensisCalochortus tiburonensis is a rare member of the genus Calochortus in the family Liliaceae. It is endemic to Marin County, California, where it is known only from one population on Ring Mountain...
Tiburon Mariposa - Calochortus tolmieiCalochortus tolmieiCalochortus tolmiei is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names Tolmie star-tulip and pussy ears. It is native to the west coast of the United States from Washington to California, where it is a common member of the flora in several types of habitat...
Tolmie's Star-tulip, Hairy Pussy Ears - Calochortus umbellatusCalochortus umbellatusCalochortus umbellatus is a flowering plant in the family Liliaceae endemic to California in the USA The common name for this species is Oakland Mariposa lily or Oakland star-tulip. The species is a California endemic of limited distribution. This species is included on the California Native Plant...
Oakland Mariposa lily - Calochortus umpquaensisCalochortus umpquaensisCalochortus umpquaensis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Umpqua Mariposa lily. It is endemic to Oregon in the United States, where it is mainly limited to the region of the Klamath Mountains on the Little River in Douglas County, in particular the Watson...
Umpqua Mariposa lily - Calochortus uniflorusCalochortus uniflorusCalochortus uniflorus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names Monterey mariposa lily and large-flowered star-tulip. It is native to California and Oregon, where it grows in moist areas, such as meadows, in coastal hills and lower-elevation mountains...
Mariposa 'Cupido' - Calochortus venustusCalochortus venustusCalochortus venustus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name butterfly mariposa lily. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in the sandy soils of a number of habitats in the mountains and foothills in the central part of the...
butterfly Mariposa; white Mariposa - Calochortus vestaeCalochortus vestaeCalochortus vestae is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name coast range mariposa lily. It is endemic to the forests of the North Coast Ranges of California, where it generally grows in clay soils.-Description:...
Vesta's Mariposa; Coast Range Mariposa - Calochortus weediiCalochortus weediiCalochortus weedii is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Weed's mariposa lily. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of southern California and Baja California, where it is a member of the chaparral flora. It is a perennial herb producing a slender,...
Weed's Mariposa- Calochortus weedii var. intermedius
- Calochortus weedii var. vestusCalochortus fimbriatusCalochortus fimbriatus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Late-blooming mariposa lily. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of southern Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and northern Ventura counties, where it is a member of the chaparral flora...
- Calochortus weedii var. weedii
- Calochortus westonii Shirley Meadow Star-tulip, Weston's Mariposa
External links
- Key to California Calochortus species
- Genus overview, Key to North American species
- Gallery of Photos. US and Mexican Calochortus Species and Natural Hybrids