Calochortus splendens
Encyclopedia
Calochortus 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.
s of up to four. Each flower is ringed with smaller, ribbonlike, curling bract
s. The bowl-shaped flowers are of varying shades of purple, often lavender, with a spot of darker purple at the base of each petal. The flower may have plentiful white hairs in the center and bright purple pollen.
Calochortus
Calochortus is a genus of bulbous plants 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...
known by the common name splendid mariposa lily. It is native to western 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...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, in chaparral and woodland
California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
habitats.
Description
Calochortus splendens is a thin-stemmed lily with few leaves and bearing flowers singly or in inflorescenceInflorescence
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...
s of up to four. Each flower is ringed with smaller, ribbonlike, curling bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s. The bowl-shaped flowers are of varying shades of purple, often lavender, with a spot of darker purple at the base of each petal. The flower may have plentiful white hairs in the center and bright purple pollen.