Calochortus macrocarpus

Calochortus macrocarpus, also known as sagebrush mariposa lily, is a North American species of bulbous perennials in the lily family.[2][1][3]

Calochortus macrocarpus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Liliaceae
Genus: Calochortus
Species:
C. macrocarpus
Binomial name
Calochortus macrocarpus
Synonyms[1]

Mariposa macrocarpa (Douglas) Hoover

Distribution

The plant is native to the Northwestern United States (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana), northern California, northern Nevada, and a small area of southern British Columbia.[4] Habitats include the Great Basin and Cascade Range.[5]

Description

Calochortus macrocarpus leaves are blue-green and grass-like. The bulbs are tapering, like a carrot.[4][6]

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.[7] They bloom in June.[6]

Uses

First peoples in southern British Columbia harvested the bulbs from April to June. They can be eaten raw or cooked.[6]

References
  1. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. Douglas, David 1828. Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London 7(2): 276–277, plate 8
  3. Gerritsen, M.E. & Parsons, R. (2007). Calochortus: Mariposa lilies & their relatives: 1-232. Timber press, Inc. Portland, U.S.A.
  4. Calochortus macrocarpus in Flora of North America @ efloras.org
  5. Jepson Manual
  6. Turner, Nancy J. Food Plants of Interior First Peoples (Victoria: University of British Columbia Press, 1997) ISBN 0-7748-0606-0
  7. Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 74. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.


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