Calochortus invenustus explained

Calochortus invenustus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names shy mariposa lily^[1] and plain mariposa lily.^[2]

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.^[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]

The fruit is an angled capsule up to 7 centimeters long.^[6]

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

Notes and References

1. Book: Gerritsen . Mary . Parsons . Ron . Calochortus: Mariposa lilies and their relatives . 2007 . Timber Press . Portland, Oregon . 978-0-88192-844-0.
2. Ownbey. Marion. A Monograph of the Genus Calochortus. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. November 1940. 27. 4. 371–560. 10.2307/2394384. 2394384.
3. http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Calochortus%20invenustus.png Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
4. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101473 Flora of North America
5. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8461,8481 Jepson Manual Treatment
6. Ness. Bryan D.. Seed Morphology and Taxonomic Relationships in Calochortus (Liliaceae). Systematic Botany. Oct–Dec 1989. 14. 4. 495–505. 10.2307/2418993. 2418993.