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Bruneau Mariposa Lily
Scientific Name:
Calochortus bruneaunis
Type:
Herbaceous Plant
Habitat:
Dry sagebrush steppe
Range:
Great Basin, including Nevada and parts of California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Utah
Status:
Secure (NatureServe)
This species is
NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
The lovely flowers are found on the top of a slim stem about 16 inches tall. The flower has three rounded petals and three shorter, pointed sepals. On the inside of the petals there is a purple arch above a yellow blotch. The hairs surround a nectary. The leaves are linear and usually wither before the flower blooms. Blooming season is from May to July.
Fast Facts:
Bruneau mariposa lilies can be found in Hidden Valley Regional Park in good water years.
The bulbs of these lilies were eaten by indigenous Americans.
The genus name Calochortus, comes from the Greek; kallos meaning beautiful and chortus meaning grass.
Native to sagebrush steppe, Bruneau mariposa lily flowers can sometimes be seen growing out of the middle of a sagebrush bush.
Sources:
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/64410-Calochortus-bruneaunis
https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.160471/Calochortus_bruneaunis
Sierra Nevada Wildflowers 2nd Edirion 2013 Karen Wiese
Contributor(s):
Emma Wynn (research, content, and photos)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)
Last Updated:
May 12, 2021 at 7:54:37 PM
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