Calochortus minimus
Encyclopedia
Calochortus minimus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family
known by the common name Sierra mariposa lily.
, where it is a common member of the flora along mountain lakesides.
Calochortus minimus is a perennial
herb
producing an unbranching stem no taller than 10 centimeters. The basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and does not wither at flowering. The inflorescence
bears up to 10 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three pointed sepal
s and three small white petal
s. The fruit is a winged capsule
up to 2 centimeters long.
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...
known by the common name Sierra mariposa lily.
Distribution
Calochortus minimus is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of CaliforniaCalifornia
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...
, where it is a common member of the flora along mountain lakesides.
Calochortus minimus is a perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herb
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
producing an unbranching stem no taller than 10 centimeters. The basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and does not wither at flowering. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears up to 10 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three pointed 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 and three small white petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s. The fruit is a winged capsule
Capsule (fruit)
In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...
up to 2 centimeters long.