Common Name: LILY FAMILY Habit: Perennial herb from membranous bulb or scaly rhizome. Stem: underground or erect, branched or not. Leaf: basal or cauline, alternate, subopposite, or whorled. Inflorescence: raceme, panicle, +- umbel-like or not. Flower: perianth parts 6 in 2 generally petal-like whorls, often showy; stamens 3 or 6, filaments free or +- fused to perianth, anthers attached at base or near middle; ovary superior or +- so, style 1, entire or 3-lobed. Fruit: capsule or berry. Seed: 3--many, flat or angled, brown to black. Genera In Family: 16 genera, 635 species: northern temperate. Note: Users strongly encouraged to protect plants by working around need to see underground parts in using keys, e.g., by trying both leads in couplets solely dependent on such characters. Muscari botryoides (L.) Mill. an historical waif in California. Other TJM (1993) taxa moved to Agavaceae (Agave, Camassia, Chlorogalum, Hastingsia, Hesperocallis, Hesperoyucca, Leucocrinum, Yucca), Alliaceae (Allium, Ipheion, Nothoscordum), Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis, Narcissus, Pancratium), Asparagaceae (Asparagus), Asphodelaceae (Aloe, Asphodelus, Kniphofia), Melanthiaceae (Pseudotrillium, Stenanthium, Toxicoscordion, Trillium, Veratrum, Xerophyllum), Nartheciaceae (Narthecium), Ruscaceae (Maianthemum, Nolina), Smilacaceae (Smilax), Tecophilaeaceae (Odontostomum), Themidaceae (Androstephium, Bloomeria, Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, Muilla, Triteleia), and Tofieldiaceae (Triantha). North American species of Disporum now in Prosartes. eFlora Treatment Author: Dale W. McNeal, except as noted Scientific Editor: Dale W. McNeal, Thomas J. Rosatti.
Habit: Bulb coat generally membranous, occasionally fibrous. Stem: scapose or leafy, generally erect, generally branched, bulblets in axils of lower leaves or 0. Leaf: generally linear to lanceolate; basal leaf 1, persistent or not; cauline leaves 0--several, occasionally appearing basal, generally smaller upward, withering or not. Inflorescence: often +- umbel-like; flowers 2--many; bracts 0--several, generally opposite, often paired. Flower: perianth +- closed, spheric to oblong, or open, bell-shaped or +- rotate; sepals generally < petals, generally +- lanceolate (ovate), generally +- glabrous; petals generally widely wedge-shaped, occasionally clawed, generally hairy adaxially, nectary near base; stamens 6, filaments +- flat, often dilated at base, anthers generally attached at base or appearing so; style 1, stigmas 3. Fruit: capsule, septicidal; oblong or linear, generally 3-angled or -winged, chambers 3. Seed: many in 2 rows per chamber, flat, generally +- tan or +- yellow, translucent, or irregular dark brown, often net-like. Etymology: (Greek: beautiful grass) Note: Bulbs of some eaten by Native Americans. Many taxa variable, difficult to key. eFlora Treatment Author: Peggy L. Fiedler Unabridged Reference: Patterson & Givnish 2003 New Phytologist 161:253--264
Calochortus pulchellus (Benth.) Alph. Wood
NATIVE Habit: Herbage green. Stem: erect, 10--30 cm, stout. Leaf: basal 10--40 cm, persistent; cauline 2--3, generally reduced upward. Inflorescence: flowers 1--many, nodding. Flower: perianth spheric, closed at tip; sepals 20--30 mm, lanceolate to lance-ovate; petals 25--33 mm, narrowly ovate, light yellow, ciliate with thick hairs, sparsely hairy, nectary deep, bordered above by slender hairs; filaments 6--8 mm, dilated at base, anthers 3--5 mm, oblong, mucronate, yellow. Fruit: nodding, 20--30 mm, winged. Seed: irregular, dark brown. Chromosomes: 2n=20. Ecology: Wooded slopes, rarely chaparral, generally northern aspect; Elevation: 200--800 m. Bioregional Distribution: ne SnFrB (Mount Diablo, Contra Costa Co.). Flowering Time: Apr--Jun Note: Hybrids with Calochortus umbellatus rare. Jepson eFlora Author: Peggy L. Fiedler Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange) Listed on CNPS Rare Plant Inventory Previous taxon: Calochortus plummerae Next taxon: Calochortus raichei
Jepson Video for Calochortus pulchellusClick to watch the video.
Botanical illustration including Calochortus pulchellus
Citation for this treatment: Peggy L. Fiedler 2012, Calochortus pulchellus, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=16755, accessed on July 19, 2024.
Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2024, Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/, accessed on July 19, 2024.
Geographic subdivisions for Calochortus pulchellus:
ne SnFrB (Mount Diablo, Contra Costa Co.).
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(Note: any qualifiers in the taxon distribution description, such as 'northern', 'southern', 'adjacent' etc., are not reflected in the map above, and in some cases indication of a taxon in a subdivision is based on a single collection or author-verified occurrence).
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Blue markers indicate specimens that map to one of the expected Jepson geographic subdivisions (see left map). Purple markers indicate specimens collected from a garden, greenhouse, or other non-wild location.
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CCH collections by month
Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa, if there are more than 1 infraspecific taxon in CA.
Blue line denotes eFlora flowering time (fruiting time in some monocot genera).
