Calochortus simulans
Encyclopedia
Calochortus simulans is a species of flowering plant in the lily family
known by the common name San Luis Obispo mariposa lily, not to be confused with the San Luis mariposa lily
C. obispoensis. It is native to San Luis Obispo County, California
, and its range extends south into Santa Barbara County
. It is a perennial herb producing a branching stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and withers by flowering. The inflorescence
is a loose cluster of 1 to 3 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three curving sepal
s and three longer petal
s, each up to 5 centimeters long. The petals are white to yellow with a deep red spot at the base. The fruit
is an angled capsule
5 or 6 centimeters in length.
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 San Luis Obispo mariposa lily, not to be confused with the San Luis mariposa lily
Calochortus obispoensis
Calochortus obispoensis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name San Luis mariposa lily. It is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it grows in the chaparral of the coastal mountains, generally on serpentine soils.-Description:It is a perennial...
C. obispoensis. It is native to San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...
, and its range extends south into Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
. It is a perennial herb producing a 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...
is a loose cluster of 1 to 3 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three curving 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 and three longer 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 up to 5 centimeters long. The petals are white to yellow with a deep red spot at the base. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is an angled capsule
Capsule (fruit)
In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...
5 or 6 centimeters in length.