''Calochortus simulans'' is a
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
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''.
Distribution
It is native to
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a County (United States), county on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 282, ...
, and its range extends south into the northern part of
Santa Barbara County.
Description
''Calochortus simulans'' is a perennial herb producing a branching stem up to tall. The basal leaf is long and withers by flowering. The
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. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
is a loose cluster of 1 to 3 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three curving
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 coined b ...
s and three longer
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s, each up to long. The petals are white to yellow with a deep red spot at the base. The
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
is an angled
capsule in length.
Flora of North America, ''Calochortus simulans''
/ref>
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentUnited States Department of Agriculture Plants ProfileCalphotos Photo gallery, University of California @ Berkeley
simulans
Plants described in 1944
Endemic flora of California
{{Liliales-stub