Calochortus invenustus
Calochortus invenustus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name plain mariposa lily.[2]
| Calochortus invenustus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Liliales |
| Family: | Liliaceae |
| Genus: | Calochortus |
| Species: | C. invenustus |
| Binomial name | |
| Calochortus invenustus | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
It is native to the mountain ranges of central and southern California, where it grows in the coniferous forests. It has also been found in the Bodie Hills in Mineral County, Nevada.[1][3]
Description
Calochortus invenustus is a perennial herb which produces a slender, mostly unbranched stem up to 50 centimeters tall. There is a basal leaf 10 to 20 centimeters long which withers at flowering.[4]
The inflorescence bears 1 to 6 erect bell-shaped flowers in a loose cluster. Each flower has three sepals and three petals which are usually white to light purple and may have spotting low at the base and greenish streaking on the outer surfaces.[5]
References
- Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- Ownbey, Marion (November 1940). "A Monograph of the Genus Calochortus". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 27 (4): 371–560. doi:10.2307/2394384. JSTOR 2394384.
- Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
- Flora of North America
- Jepson Manual Treatment
- Ness, Bryan D. (Oct–Dec 1989). "Seed Morphology and Taxonomic Relationships in Calochortus (Liliaceae)". Systematic Botany. 14 (4): 495–505. doi:10.2307/2418993. JSTOR 2418993.
External links
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile
- Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
- Wayne's Word Website, Photos Of Plants In The San Diego County Mountains #2 Photos of several species including C. invenustus, taken by W.P. Armstrong