Calochortus
Calochortus (pronounced /ˌkælɵˈkɔrtəs/) is a genus of bulbous plants that includes 70 species from British Columbia to Guatemala and east to Nebraska. Calochortus is the most widely dispersed genus of Liliaceae on the North American Pacific coast. Of these, 28 species are endemic to California. The genus Calochortus includes Mariposas (or Mariposa lilies) with open wedge-shaped petals, Globe lilies and Fairy lanterns with globe-shaped flowers, and Cat's ears and Star tulips with erect pointed petals. The word Calochortus is derived from Greek and means "beautiful grass".
Calochortus produce one or more flowers on a stem that arises from the bulb, generally in the spring or early summer. Unlike most other Liliaceae, Calochortus petals differ in size and color from their sepals. Flowers can be white, yellow, pink, purple, bluish, or streaked. The insides of the petals are often highly hairy. These hairs, along with the nectaries, are often used in distinguishing species from each other.
Calochortus nuttallii, the Sego Lily, is the official state flower of Utah.
Habitat
In 1998, T.B. Patterson conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the genus, dividing it into seven main clades. The study indicated highly localized speciation, so that different clades were strongly linked to specific habitats, as follows: Mariposas: dry grasslands and semideserts
Star-tulips: wet meadows
Cat’s ears: montane woodlands
Fairy lanterns: closed forests.
Uses
The bulbs of many species were eaten by Native Americans. They were also eaten by the Mormon settlers in Utah during the first winter or two because of crop failures during the first few years of settlement in the Great Salt Lake Valley.
Species list
This list comprises the species found in the United States. Some species are restricted to Mexico and Guatemala. ] Calochortus albus white globelily
Calochortus amabilis short lily
Calochortus ambiguus doubting Mariposa lily
Calochortus amoenus purple globelily
Calochortus apiculatus pointedtip Mariposa lily
Calochortus argillosus
Calochortus aureus golden Mariposa lily
Calochortus barbatus yellow globe lily
Calochortus bruneaunis Bruneau Mariposa lily
Calochortus catalinae Santa Catalina Mariposa lily -threatened by development
Calochortus clavatus clubhair Mariposa lily
Calochortus clavatus var. avius -rare,
Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis
Calochortus clavatus ssp. clavatus
Calochortus clavatus ssp. pallidus
Calochortus clavatus ssp. recurvifolius -rare
Calochortus coeruleus beavertail grass
Calochortus concolor goldenbowl Mariposa lily
Calochortus coxii Cox's Mariposa lily
Calochortus dunnii Dunn's Mariposa lily -rare
Calochortus elegans northwestern Mariposa lily; star tulip
Calochortus elegans var. elegans elegant Mariposa lily
Calochortus elegans var. nanus
Calochortus elegans var. oreophilus elegant Mariposa lily
Calochortus elegans var. selwayensis Selway Mariposa lily
Calochortus eurycarpus white Mariposa lily
Calochortus excavatus Inyo Mariposa lily -threatened by groundwater development
Calochortus flexuosus winding Mariposa lily
Calochortus greenei Green's Mariposa lily -rare
Calochortus gunnisonii Gunnison's Mariposa lily
Calochortus gunnisonii var. gunnisonii
Calochortus gunnisonii var. perpulcher
Calochortus howellii Howell's Mariposa lily
Calochortus indecorus Sexton Mountain Mariposa lily
Calochortus invenustus plain Mariposa lily
Calochortus kennedyi desert Mariposa lily
Calochortus kennedyi var. kennedyi
Calochortus kennedyi var. munzii
Calochortus leichtlinii smokey Mariposa
Calochortus longebarbatus longbeard Mariposa lily
Calochortus longebarbatus var. longebarbatus - threatened by grazing
Calochortus longebarbatus var. peckii
Calochortus luteus yellow Mariposa lily
Calochortus lyallii Lyall's Mariposa lily
Calochortus macrocarpus sagebrush Mariposa lily
Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus
Calochortus macrocarpus var. maculosus Nez Perce Mariposa lily
Calochortus minimus Sierran Mariposa lily
Calochortus monanthus Shasta River Mariposa lily -presumed extinct
Calochortus monophyllus yellow startulip
Calochortus nitidus broadfruit Mariposa lily
Calochortus nudus naked Mariposa lily
Calochortus nuttallii sego lily
Calochortus obispoensis San Luis Mariposa lily
Calochortus palmeri Palmer's Mariposa lily
Calochortus palmeri var. munzii Munz's Mariposa lily
Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri -rare
Calochortus panamintensisPanamint Mountain Mariposa lily -rare
Calochortus persistens Siskiyou Mariposa lily -rare
Calochortus plummerae Plummer's Mariposa lily -rare
Calochortus pulchellus Mount Diablo globelily
Calochortus raichei Cedars Mariposa lily
Calochortus simulans San Luis Obispo Mariposa lily
Calochortus splendens splendid Mariposa lily
Calochortus striatus alkali Mariposa lily
Calochortus subalpinus Alpine Pussy Ears, Cascade Mariposa Lily, Cat's Ear Lily
Calochortus superbus Superb Mariposa
Calochortus tiburonensis Tiburon Mariposa
Calochortus tolmiei Tolmie's Star-tulip, Hairy Pussy Ears
Calochortus umbellatus Oakland Mariposa lily
Calochortus umpquaensis Umpqua Mariposa lily
Calochortus uniflorus Mariposa 'Cupido'
Calochortus venustus butterfly Mariposa; white Mariposa
Calochortus vestae Vesta's Mariposa; Coast Range Mariposa
Calochortus weedii Weed's Mariposa
Calochortus weedii var. intermedius
Calochortus weedii var. vestus
Calochortus weedii var. weedii
Calochortus westonii Shirley Meadow Star-tulip, Weston's Mariposa
Translation
The word "Calochortus" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese.
Translation(s) in other languages: Bulgarian: Калохортус, Ukrainian: Калохортус.
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