[The Lily Family East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Mariposa Lilies East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington

The Genus Calochortus

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily: Calochortus macrocarpus var. maculosus

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily: Calochortus macrocarpus var. maculosus

Baker's Mariposa, Pointedtip Mariposa Lily, Three-spot Mariposa Lily: Calochortus apiculatus - Ovary and fruits orbicular to oblong and 3-winged. Basal leaf wide and flat. Fruits nodding. Sepals with a basal glandular spot. Northeastern Washington through northern Idaho to western Montana.

Bruneau Mariposa Lily: Calochortus bruneaunis (Synonyms: Calochortus nuttallii, Calochortus nuttallii var. bruneaunis) - Ovaries and fruits linear or triangular in cross-section but not winged. Basal leaf linear and concave-convex or channeled in cross-section. Sepals usually shorter than the petals.

Elegant Cat's Ear, Elegant Mariposa, Elegant Star Lily, Northwest Mariposa Lily, Northwestern Mariposa: Calochortus elegans var. elegans - Ovary and fruits orbicular to oblong and 3-winged. Basal leaf wide and flat. Fruits nodding. Sepals without basal glandular spot. Plants of southeastern Washington, northern to central Idaho, and the Blue Mts. of central and northeastern Oregon.

Cat's ear Lily, Dwarf Star Tulip: Calochortus elegans var. nanus (Synonyms: Calochortus caeruleus var. nanus, Calochortus elegans var. oreophilus, Calochortus nanus) - A species generally found in the southern to central Oregon Cascade Mts. and Siskiyou region, a few populations exist in western Deschutes County and northern Klamath County.

Bigpod Mariposa, Big-pod Mariposa Lily, White Mariposa Lily, Wide-fruit Mariposa, Wide-fruited Mariposa, Wing-fruited Mariposa Lily: Calochortus eurycarpus (Synonyms: Calochortus euumbellatus, Calochortus nitidus, Calochortus nitidus var. eurycarpus, Calochortus parviflorus) - Ovary and fruits orbicular to oblong and 3-winged. Basal leaf wide and flat. Fruits erect. Petals obovate with wider, wedge-shaped base. The bract or 2nd leaf is near mid stem , or more distant from the larger lowest leaf, and usually lacks a bulblet at its base. Petals white or purplish with a central purple blotch.

Leichtlin's Mariposa: Calochortus leichtlinii -

Longbeard Mariposa, Long-bearded Mariposa Lily, Long-bearded Sego Lily, Longhair Star Tulip: Calochortus longebarbatus var. longebarbatus - Ovary and fruits orbicular to oblong and 3-winged. Basal leaf wide and flat. Fruits erect. Petals obovate with wider, wedge-shaped base. Bract or 2nd leaf is directly above the lowest (wider) basal leaf and usually at ground level, often with a bulblet at its base. Petals spread upward, not out then abruptly up.

Long-bearded Star Tulip, Peck's Mariposa: Calochortus longebarbatus var. peckii - Ovary and fruits orbicular to oblong and 3-winged. Basal leaf wide and flat. Fruits erect. Petals obovate with wider, wedge-shaped base. Bract or 2nd leaf is directly above the lowest (wider) basal leaf and usually at ground level, often with a bulblet at its base. Petals spread then turn abruptly up at the gland.

Lyall's Mariposa Lily, Lyall's Mariposa-lily: Calochortus lyallii (Synonym: Calochortus ciliatus) - Ovary and fruits orbicular to oblong and 3-winged. Basal leaf wide and flat. Fruits erect. petals triangular-lanceolate tapering to a narrow, petiole-like base.

Lewiston Mariposa, Sagebrush Mariposa Lily: Calochortus macrocarpus var. maculosus - Ovaries and fruits linear or triangular in cross-section but not winged. Basal leaf linear and concave-convex or channeled in cross-section. Sepals longer than petals. Petals white with narrow purple band on the upper surface.

Green-banded Mariposa Lily, Greenband Star Tulip, Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus (Synonyms: Calochortus douglasianus, Mariposa macrocarpa) - Ovaries and fruits linear or triangular in cross-section but not winged. Basal leaf linear and concave-convex or channeled in cross-section. Sepals longer than the petals. Petals light, medium or deep lavender with a narrow purple band on the upper surface.

Bigpod Mariposa Lily, Broad-fruited Mariposa Lily: Calochortus nitidus - Ovary and fruits orbicular to oblong and 3-winged. Basal leaf wide and flat. Fruits erect. Petals obovate with wider, wedge-shaped base. The bract or 2nd leaf is near mid stem , or more distant from the larger lowest leaf, and usually lacks a bulblet at its base. Petals lavender with a basal crescent-shaped purple spot.

Cat's-ears, Oregon Mariposa Lily, Tolmie's Mariposa, Tolmie's Star-tulip: Calochortus tolmiei (Synonyms: Calochortus caeruleus var. maweanus, Calochortus elegans var. lobbii, Calochortus galei, Calochortus maweanus, Calochortus purdyi) - Generally a species of the Coast Range, southern Oregon Cascades, and Willamette Valley of Oregon, one record exists for it for Fox Prairie in Umatilla County in eastern Oregon.


Paul Slichter