Calochortus coeruleus explained

Calochortus coeruleus, often misspelled as Calochortus caeruleus,[1] is a bulbous plant of the lily family. It is known by the common name beavertail grass or blue star tulip.[2]

Description

The plant is endemic to California. It is found only in the North California Coast Ranges, Southern Cascade Range, and Northern Sierra Nevada.[3]

Calochortus coeruleus is a distinctive plant bearing flowers with light blue spade-shaped petals covered in brushlike hairs.[3]

Taxonomy

The botanical name Calochortus caeruleus is not accepted, being an orthographic variant (misspelling) of Calochortus coeruleus.[1] Watson in coining the name in 1875 spelled it "caeruleus" but he also cited Kellogg's 1863 name Cyclobothra coerulea as basionym.

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=565041 ITIS Report: Orthographic variant, Calochortus caeruleus
  2. http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=1277 Calflora taxon report, Calochortus coeruleus (Kellogg) S. Watson blue star tulip
  3. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101462 Flora of North America, Vol. 26 Page 124 Calochortus coeruleus (Kellogg) S. Watson