''Calochortus macrocarpus'', also known as sagebrush mariposa lily, is a North American species of bulbous perennials in the

lily family 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 ...

Distribution

The plant is native to the

Northwestern United States The Northwestern United States, also known as the American Northwest or simply the Northwest, is an informal geographic region of the United States. The region consistently includes the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. ...

(

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and W ...

, and western

Montana Montana () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West List of regions of the United States#Census Bureau-designated regions and divisions, division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North ...

), northern

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 ...

, northern

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

, and a small area of southern

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

.''Calochortus macrocarpus'' in Flora of North America @ efloras.org
/ref> Habitats include the Great Basin and Cascade Range.

Description

''Calochortus macrocarpus'' leaves are blue-green and grass-like. The bulbs are tapering, like a carrot.Turner, Nancy J. ''Food Plants of Interior First Peoples'' (Victoria: University of British Columbia Press, 1997) The flowers are large, one- to three-petaled, and are pink to purple. The sepals are about 2 inches long, slightly longer than the green-striped petals. They bloom in June.

Uses

First peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

in southern

harvested the bulbs from April to June. They can be eaten raw or cooked.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment of ''Calochortus macrocarpus''United States Department of AgriculturePlants Profile for ''Calochortus macrocarpus''Calphotos Photos gallery, University of California: ''Calochortus macrocarpus''
macrocarpus Flora of Northern America Flora of the Cascade Range Flora of the Great Basin Plants described in 1828 Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{liliales-stub