Calochortus/ˌkæləˈkɔːrtəs, -loʊ-/ is a genus of North American plants in the lily family. The group includes herbaceous, perennial and bulbous species, all native to North America (primarily the Western United States).
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 albus bloom timelapse
Description
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 very 'hairy'. These hairs, along with the nectaries, are often used in distinguishing species from each other.
Species
Calochortus albus white globelily - CA, Baja California
Calochortus amabilis short lily - CA
Calochortus ambiguus doubting mariposa lily - UT AZ NM Sonora
Calochortus pulchellus Mount Diablo globelily - CA
Calochortus raichei Cedars mariposa lily - CA
Calochortus simulans San Luis Obispo mariposa lily - CA
Calochortus spatulatus - Mexico
Calochortus splendens splendid mariposa lily - CA, Baja California
Calochortus striatus alkali mariposa lily - CA NV
Calochortus subalpinus alpine pussy ears, Cascade mariposa lily, cat's ear lily - WA OR
Calochortus superbus superb mariposa - CA
Calochortus syntrophus Callahan's mariposa lily - CA
Calochortus tiburonensis Tiburon mariposa - CA
Calochortus tolmiei Tolmie's star-tulip, hairy pussy ears - CA OR WA
Calochortus umbellatus Oakland mariposa lily - CA
Calochortus umpquaensis Umpqua mariposa lily - OR
Calochortus uniflorus mariposa 'Cupido' - CA OR
Calochortus venustulus - Mexico
Calochortus venustus butterfly mariposa, white mariposa - CA
Calochortus vestae Vesta's mariposa, Coast Range mariposa - CA
Calochortus weedii Weed's mariposa - CA, Baja Calilfornia
Calochortus westonii Shirley Meadow star-tulip, Weston's mariposa - CA
Distribution and habitat
The genus Calochortus includes approximately 70 species distributed from southwestern British Columbia, through California and Mexico, to northern Guatemala and eastwards to New Mexico, Nebraska and the Dakotas. Calochortus is the most widely dispersed genus of Liliaceae on the North American Pacific Coast. Of these, 28 species are endemic to California.
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, open chaparral, semideserts
The bulbs of many species were eaten by Native Americans. They bulbs were eaten raw or gathered in the fall and boiled, and the flower buds when young and fresh. They were eaten by the Mormon settlers during the first winter or two as new immigrants in the Great Salt Lake Valley, due to crop failures.
Native Americans also used Calochortus ceremonially and as a traditional medicinal plant.
Cultivation
Some Calochortus species are cultivated as ornamental plants by specialty nurseries and botanic gardens to sell. The bulbs are planted for their flowers, in traditional, native plant, and wildlife gardens; in rock gardens; and in potted container gardens for those needing unwatered Summer dormancy.
