Calochortus palmeri
Encyclopedia
Calochortus palmeri is a species of flowering plant in the lily family
known by the common name Palmer's mariposa lily. It is endemic to California
, where it is distributed mostly throughout the coastal mountain ranges from the Los Angeles
area to the San Francisco Bay Area
. It is a perennial
herb
producing a straight, branching stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and withers by flowering. The inflorescence
bears 1 to 6 erect, open bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three brown-speckled sepal
s 3 centimeters long and three wider petal
s each 2 or 3 centimeters long. The petals are white to light lavender and have bases with yellow or purple hairs, or lacking hairs, depending on variety. There are two varieties of this species, the rarer of the two, Munz's mariposa lily (var. munzii), being known only from Riverside County
.
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
known by the common name Palmer's mariposa lily. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is distributed mostly throughout the coastal mountain ranges from the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
area to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. It is a perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herb
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
producing a straight, branching stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and withers by flowering. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears 1 to 6 erect, open bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three brown-speckled sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s 3 centimeters long and three wider petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s each 2 or 3 centimeters long. The petals are white to light lavender and have bases with yellow or purple hairs, or lacking hairs, depending on variety. There are two varieties of this species, the rarer of the two, Munz's mariposa lily (var. munzii), being known only from Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
.