Calochortus weedii
Encyclopedia
Calochortus 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, branching stem 30 to 90 centimeters tall. There is a basal leaf up to 40 centimeters long which withers by the time the plant blooms. The inflorescence
bears 2 to 6 erect, widely bell-shaped to spreading flowers. Each flower has three narrow sepal
s and three wider and sometimes shorter petal
s, each segment up to 3 centimeters long. The petals are oval or wedge-shaped and may be any of a variety of colors, from cream to deep yellow to reddish purple. The petals often have reddish brown borders and flecks, and a coating of hairs on the inner surface. The fruit
is an angled capsule
4 to 5 centimeters long.
One variety of this plant, var. vestus, is now often treated as a species in its own right named Calochortus fimbriatus
.
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 Weed's mariposa lily. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of southern 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...
, where it is a member of the chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
flora. It 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 a slender, branching stem 30 to 90 centimeters tall. There is a basal leaf up to 40 centimeters long which withers by the time the plant blooms. 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 2 to 6 erect, widely bell-shaped to spreading flowers. Each flower has three narrow 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 wider and sometimes shorter 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, each segment up to 3 centimeters long. The petals are oval or wedge-shaped and may be any of a variety of colors, from cream to deep yellow to reddish purple. The petals often have reddish brown borders and flecks, and a coating of hairs on the inner surface. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is an angled 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...
4 to 5 centimeters long.
One variety of this plant, var. vestus, is now often treated as a species in its own right named Calochortus fimbriatus
Calochortus fimbriatus
Calochortus 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...
.