''Calochortus'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the lily family. The group includes herbaceous,

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

and bulbous species, all native to North America (primarily the

Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the We ...

).Flora of North America, Vol. 26 Page 119 ''Calochortus'' Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. 1814.
/ref> 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".

Description

''Calochortus'' flowers have six

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s. Unlike most other

Liliaceae The lily family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15 genera and 610 species of flowering plants within the order Liliales. They are monocotyledonous, perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous geophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fair a ...

, ''Calochortus'' tepals are in two series that differ in size and color. The outer three are generally narrower and more

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

-like, while the inner three are larger, usually with bright marks at the base. They may be described as petals. The flowers are borne on a stem that arises from a bulb, generally in the spring or early summer. Flowers can be white, yellow, pink, purple, bluish, or streaked. The insides of the petals are often very 'hairy'. These hairs, along with the nectaries, are often used in distinguishing species from each other. ;Species Calochortus gunnisonii gunnisonii crop

Calochortus gunnisonii, Teller County, CO

*''

Calochortus albus ''Calochortus albus''Baldwin, B. G., D. H. Goldman, D. J. Keil, R. Patterson, T. J. Rosatti, and D. H. Wilken, editors. 2012. "The Jepson Manual: vascular plants of California", second edition. University of California press, Berkeley. . pp 1380 ...

'' white globelily - CA,

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

*''

Calochortus amabilis ''Calochortus amabilis''Baldwin, B. G., D. H. Goldman, D. J. Keil, R. Patterson, T. J. Rosatti, and D. H. Wilken, editors. 2012. "The Jepson Manual: vascular plants of California", second edition. University of California press, Berkeley. pp 138 ...

'' short lily - CA *''

Calochortus ambiguus ''Calochortus ambiguus'', the Arizona mariposa lily or doubting mariposa lily, is a perennial plant in the lily family (liliaceae) that grows at higher elevations of the Sonoran Desert regions of Arizona, western New Mexico, southern Utah ...

'' doubting mariposa lily - UT AZ NM Sonora *'' Calochortus amoenus'' purple globelily - CA *'' Calochortus apiculatus'' pointedtip mariposa lily -

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, WA OR ID MT WY *'' Calochortus argillosus'' - CA *'' Calochortus aureus'' golden mariposa lily - UT CO AZ NM *'' Calochortus balsensis'' -

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

Guerrero Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...

*''

Calochortus barbatus ''Calochortus barbatus'' is a species of mariposa lilies in the lily family. It is endemic to Mexico. Distribution The bulb is widespread across much of montane Mexico, from Chihuahua in the northeast to Oaxaca in the southeast. It is found ...

'' yellow globe lily - from Chihuahua to

*'' Calochortus bruneaunis'' Bruneau mariposa lily - CA OR NV UT ID MT *''

Calochortus catalinae ''Calochortus catalinae'' is a species of Calochortus, mariposa lily known by the common name Santa Catalina mariposa lily.

'' Santa Catalina mariposa lily — (''threatened by development'') CA * '' Calochortus cernuus'' - Morelos * '' Calochortus ciscoensis'' - UT *'' Calochortus clavatus'' clubhair mariposa lily - CA **''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 - CA *'' Calochortus concolor'' goldenbowl mariposa lily - CA,

*'' Calochortus coxii'' Cox's mariposa lily - OR *''

Calochortus dunnii ''Calochortus dunnii'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the Liliaceae, lily family known by the common name Dunn's mariposa lily. Distribution The plant is endemic to the Peninsular Ranges, native to southern San Diego County, California, ...

'' Dunn's mariposa lily — rare - CA,

*'' Calochortus elegans'' northwestern mariposa lily; star tulip - CA OR WA ID MT **''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 - OR WA NV ID MT WY *'' Calochortus excavatus'' Inyo mariposa lily — (''threatened by groundwater development'') - CA *'' Calochortus exilis'' -

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

*''

Calochortus fimbriatus ''Calochortus fimbriatus'' is a California 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 ...

'' late-blooming mariposa lily — rare - CA *'' Calochortus flexuosus'' winding mariposa lily - CA NV UT CO AZ NM

, Sonora * '' Calochortus foliosus'' - Michoacán * Calochortus fuscus -

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

*'' Calochortus greenei'' Green's mariposa lily — rare - CA OR *'' Calochortus ghiesbreghtii'' - Mexico, Guatemala *'' Calochortus gunnisonii'' Gunnison's mariposa lily - ID MT WY SD NE CO UT AZ NM **''Calochortus gunnisonii'' var. ''gunnisonii'' **''Calochortus gunnisonii'' var. ''perpulcher'' *'' Calochortus hartwegii'' - Aguascalientes,

Nayarit Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...

, Jalisco *'' Calochortus howellii'' Howell's mariposa lily - OR *†'' Calochortus indecorus'' Sexton Mountain mariposa lily - OR - extinct *'' Calochortus invenustus'' plain mariposa lily - CA NV *'' Calochortus kennedyi'' desert mariposa lily - CA NV AZ Sonora, Chihuahua **''Calochortus kennedyi'' var.'' kennedyi'' **''Calochortus kennedyi'' var.'' munzii'' *'' Calochortus leichtlinii'' smokey mariposa - CA NV OR *'' Calochortus longibarbatus'' longbeard mariposa lily - CA OR WA **''Calochortus longibarbatus'' var.'' longibarbatus'' — (''threatened by grazing'') **''Calochortus longibarbatus'' var.'' peckii'' *''

Calochortus luteus ''Calochortus luteus'', the yellow mariposa lily, is a mariposa lily endemic to California. Description The primarily bright deep yellow flower is 3–5 cm across and perianth bulb-shaped, lined red-brown inside, often also with central re ...

'' yellow mariposa lily - CA *'' Calochortus lyallii'' Lyall's mariposa lily - WA,

*'' Calochortus macrocarpus'' sagebrush mariposa lily - CA NV OR WA ID MT,

**''Calochortus macrocarpus'' var.'' macrocarpus'' **''Calochortus macrocarpus'' var.'' maculosus'' Nez Perce mariposa lily *'' Calochortus marcellae'' - Nuevo León, Coahuila,

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...

*'' Calochortus mendozae'' - Querétaro, San Luis Potosí *'' Calochortus minimus'' Sierran mariposa lily - CA *†'' Calochortus monanthus'' Shasta River mariposa lily — CA (''presumed extinct'') *''

Calochortus monophyllus ''Calochortus monophyllus'' is a North American species of flowering plants in the lily family known by the common name yellow star-tulip. ''Calochortus monophyllus'' is endemic to California. It is found in the foothill Interior oak woodland ...

'' yellow startulip - CA OR *'' Calochortus nigrescens'' -

*''

Calochortus nitidus ''Calochortus nitidus'', the broadfruit mariposa lily, is a North American species of flowering plants in the lily family native to the northwestern United States. ''Calochortus nitidus'' is found primarily in northern Idaho and southeastern W ...

'' broadfruit mariposa lily - WA OR ID *'' Calochortus nudus'' naked mariposa lily - CA OR *''

Calochortus nuttallii ''Calochortus nuttallii'', also known as the sego lily, is a bulbous perennial plant that is endemic to the Western United States. It is the state flower of Utah. Distribution and habitat The plant is native to a number of western states, b ...

'' sego lily, (''state flower of Utah'') - ND SD NE MT ID CO UT NV AZ NM *'' Calochortus obispoensis'' San Luis mariposa lily - CA *'' Calochortus palmeri'' Palmer's mariposa lily - CA **Calochortus palmeri var. munzii Munz's mariposa lily **Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri — rare *'' Calochortus panamintensis'' Panamint Mountain mariposa lily — rare ca NV *'' Calochortus persistens'' Siskiyou mariposa lily — rare - CA OR *''

Calochortus plummerae ''Calochortus 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, inland hills, and some Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges.

'' Plummer's mariposa lily — rare - CA *'' Calochortus pringlei'' - Morelos, Puebla, Jalisco,

*'' Calochortus pulchellus'' Mount Diablo globelily - CA *'' Calochortus raichei'' Cedars mariposa lily - CA *'' Calochortus simulans'' San Luis Obispo mariposa lily - CA *'' Calochortus spatulatus'' -

*''

Calochortus splendens ''Calochortus splendens'' is a North American species of mariposa lily known by the common name splendid mariposa lily.Douglas, David 1835. Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London, series. 2 1(5): 411–412, plate 15, figure A ''Cal ...

'' splendid mariposa lily - CA,

*'' Calochortus striatus'' alkali mariposa lily - CA NV *'' Calochortus subalpinus'' subalpine mariposa lily, Cascade mariposa lily, cat's ear lily - WA OR *'' Calochortus superbus'' superb mariposa - CA *'' Calochortus syntrophus'' Callahan's mariposa lily - CA *''

Calochortus tiburonensis ''Calochortus tiburonensis'', the Tiburon Mariposa lily, is a rare member of the genus ''Calochortus'' in the family Liliaceae. It is Endemism, endemic to Marin County, California, where it is known only from one population on Ring Mountain (Cali ...

'' Tiburon mariposa - CA *'' Calochortus tolmiei'' Tolmie's star-tulip, hairy pussy ears - CA OR WA *'' Calochortus umbellatus'' Oakland mariposa lily - CA *''

Calochortus umpquaensis ''Calochortus 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 ...

'' Umpqua mariposa lily - OR *''

Calochortus uniflorus ''Calochortus 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 western Oregon and to California as far south as San Luis Obispo County. ...

'' mariposa 'Cupido' - CA OR * '' Calochortus venustulus'' -

*''

Calochortus venustus ''Calochortus venustus'' is a California species of flowering plants in the lily family known by the common name butterfly mariposa lily. It is a perennial herb that grows in grasslands and open wooded areas. Distribution and habitat The specie ...

'' butterfly mariposa, white mariposa - CA *'' Calochortus vestae'' Vesta's mariposa, Coast Range mariposa - CA *'' Calochortus weedii'' Weed's mariposa - CA, Baja Calilfornia *'' Calochortus westonii'' Shirley Meadow star-tulip, Weston's mariposa - CA

Distribution and habitat

The genus ''Calochortus'' includes approximately 70 species distributed from southwestern

, through

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and

, to northern Guatemala and eastwards to

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

and the Dakotas. ''Calochortus'' is the most widely dispersed genus of

on the North American Pacific Coast.Dale, Nancy; ''Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains'', Capra Press, 1986; pg. 28 Of these, 28 species are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

. 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, open chaparral, semideserts *Star-tulips: wet meadows *Cat's ears: montane woodlands *Fairy lanterns:

oak woodland An oak woodland is a plant community with a tree canopy dominated by oaks (''Quercus spp.''). In terms of canopy closure, oak woodlands are intermediate between oak savanna, which is more open, and oak forest, which is more closed. Although the ...

s, closed forests.

Uses

;Culinary The bulbs of many species were eaten by Native Americans. These bulbs were eaten raw or gathered in the fall and boiled, and the flower buds when young and fresh. They were eaten by the

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...

settlers between 1853 and 1858 when famine threatened new immigrants in the Great Salt Lake Valley, due to crop failures. Native Americans called ''Calochortus'' "sego". They used it as food, in ceremonies and as a traditional

medicinal plant Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including defense and protection ag ...

. ;Cultivation Some ''Calochortus'' species are cultivated as ornamental plants by specialty nurseries and botanic gardens to sell.Telos Rare Bulbs Nursery database: ''Calochortus''
/ref> The bulbs are planted for their flowers, in traditional,

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...

, and

wildlife garden A wildlife garden (or wild garden) is an environment created by a gardener that serves as a sustainable haven for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens contain a variety of habitats that cater to native and local plants, birds, amphibian ...

s; in rock gardens; and in potted container gardens for those needing unwatered Summer dormancy.

Notes

References

*
Treatment from the Jepson Manual (TJM93)
* Gerritsen, Mary E and Parsons, R. ''Calochortus. Mariposa Lilies and Their Relatives''. Timber Press, 2007.
Pacific Bulb Society

External links