Calochortus

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Genus of flowering plants

title: "Calochortus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["calochortus", "liliaceae-genera", "taxa-named-by-frederick-traugott-pursh"] description: "Genus of flowering plants" topic_path: "general/calochortus" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genus of flowering plants ::

|image = Sego lily cm.jpg |image_caption = Sego Lily (Calochortus nuttallii) |taxon = Calochortus |authority = Pursh |type_species = Calochortus elegans |type_species_authority = Pursh |synonyms_ref = |synonyms =

  • Cyclobothra D.Don
  • Mariposa (Alph.Wood) Hoover

Calochortus is a genus of flowering 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".

Description

Calochortus stems grow to over 30 cm tall.

The flowers can be white, yellow, pink, red-orange, or purplish. They are up to 7.5 cm wide, with six tepals. Unlike most other Liliaceae, Calochortus tepals are in two series that differ in size and color. The outer three are generally narrower and more sepal-like, while the inner three are larger, usually with bright marks at the base, and are often described as petals. The flowers are borne on a stem that arises from a bulb, generally in the spring or early summer. The insides of the petals are often very 'hairy'. These hairs, along with the nectaries, are often used in distinguishing species from each other.

The group includes herbaceous, perennial, and bulbous species.

Taxonomy

History

Calochortus was first proposed in 1814 by Frederick Pursh to accommodate a specimen—C. elegans—received from the Lewis and Clark expedition. In the 1800s, several species were added to the genus; however, much mistakes in naming conventions led to confusion and minimal knowledge gained by the end of the century.

In 1940, Francis Marion Ownbey wrote a comprehensive monograph on Calochortus, referencing morphological evidence, geographical distribution, and his own study of cytological material. Ownbey proposed a treatment dividing Calochortus into three sections (later corroborated by J. M. Beal):

  1. Eucalochortus
  • Ten basic chromosomes and two known cases of tetraploidy
  • Includes subsections Pulchelli, Eleganti, Nudi, Nitidi
  1. Mariposa
  • Basic chromosome numbers between six and nine
  • Includes subsections Venusti, Macrocarpi, Nuttalliani, Gunnisoniani
  1. Cyclobothra
  • Nine basic chromosomes
  • Includes subsection Weediani

In 1985, F.N. Rasmussen developed a new treatment splitting Calochortus from Liliaceae, moving it into a separate family—Calochortaceae—based on chromosomal evidence, septicidal fruit, and a Polygonum type embryo sac formation. Rasmussen found that the basic chromosome numbers of Calochortus vary between seven and twenty.

Subdivision update

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Thomas B. Patterson and Thomas J. Givnish gathered additional evidence to create a new Calochortus treatment, subdividing it into seven sections and providing reasoning behind Calochortus being separate from Liliaceae. In 1999, Patterson used cpDNA (specifically rbcL and ndhF sequences) isolated from frozen or silica dried leaf tissue to develop a molecular phylogeny, finding that Calochortus should be divided into seven major clades based on geographic location:

  • Bay Area
  • Pacific Northwest
  • San Diego
  • Great Basin- Rocky Mountains
  • Coast Ranges- Sierra Nevada
  • Southwestern California
  • Central Mexico

Patterson also determined at the time that concerted convergence and phylogenetic niche conservatism may have confounded the idea that Calochortaceae (Calochortus) and Liliaceae are closely related. In 2002, Patterson and Givnish expanded on these arguments, showing that concerted convergence was demonstrated through independent evolution of characteristics such as bulbs and showy flowers and the distinct differences of these appearing as a result of survival in specific habitats. Regarding phylogenetic niche conservatism, Patterson and Givnish make the argument that this phenomenon is present in the plesiomorphic characteristics of rhizomes, inconspicuous flowers, berries, broad leaves, and reticulate venation.

In 2004, Patterson and Givnish made the shift to lump Calochortus within Liliaceae within their paper per the recommendations of Bremer et al. (2003) and Bremer, Chase, and Stevens (1998). Using similar DNA collection techniques to Patterson (1999), Patterson and Givnish developed a more detailed molecular phylogeny, comparing the seven recently determined sections to Ownbey's original three and finding that Ownbey's Eucalochortus section is monophyletic, Mariposa is paraphyletic, and Cyclobothra is polyphyletic. As a result of their research, Patterson and Givnish (2004) found that the two main factors of Calochortus speciation are:

  1. Poor dispersal caused by heavy, passively dispersed seeds
  2. Chromosomal evolution allowing different clades to "double up" and radiate sympatrically without hybridizing

Serpentine tolerance

Within Calochortus, almost one-third of species are characterized by ultramafic (form serpentine soils) habitat preferences or specific edaphic requirements, with several being endemic to their environments. Thus, scientists have used serpentine tolerance in understanding evolutionary relationships within the genus. For instance, Patterson and Givnish (2004) created a serpentine tolerance phylogeny. 18 serpentine tolerant species were found (classified by occurring in whole or in part on serpentine soils) and the largest presence of tolerance was found in the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest clades—areas with unusually high numbers of serpentine rocks at the Earth's surface. In addition, Patterson and Givnish (2004) found that 11 out of 18 species displayed only two origins of serpentine tolerance in evolutionary history.

Species

The genus contains the following species:

::data[format=table]

ImageScientific nameSubspeciesDistribution
[[File:Calochortusalbus.jpg120px]]Calochortus albus white globelily
[[File:Calochortus amabilis - Flickr 003.jpg120px]]Calochortus amabilis Diogenes' lantern
[[File:Calochortus ambiguus - Flickr 007.jpg120px]]Calochortus ambiguus doubting mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus amoenus.jpg120px]]Calochortus amoenus purple globelily
[[File:Calochortus apiculatus - Flickr 004.jpg120px]]Calochortus apiculatus pointed-tip mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus argillosus 8S6A1783.jpg120px]]Calochortus argillosus
[[File:Calochortus aureus flora1.jpg120px]]Calochortus aureus golden mariposa lily
Calochortus balsensisOaxaca, Guerrero
[[File:Calochortus barbatus (9729039412) - cropped.jpg120px]]Calochortus barbatus yellow globe lily
[[File:Calochortus bruneaunis-5-20-04.jpg120px]]Calochortus bruneaunis Bruneau mariposa lily
[[File:2016.06.16 14.54.37 DSC04904 - Flickr - andrey zharkikh.jpg120px]]Calochortus catalinae Santa Catalina mariposa lily — (threatened by development)
[[File:Calochortus cernuus imported from iNaturalist photo 226162154 on 2 May 2024.jpg120px]]Calochortus cernuus
[[File:Cisco mariposa imported from iNaturalist photo 40297962 on 2 May 2024.jpg120px]]Calochortus ciscoensis
[[File:Club-haired Calochortus (Calochortus clavatus).jpg120px]]Calochortus clavatus club-hair mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus coeruleus - Flickr. 003.jpg120px]]Calochortus coeruleus beavertail grass
[[File:Goldenbowl mariposa lily imported from iNaturalist photo 202467849 on 2 May 2024.jpg120px]]Calochortus concolor golden-bowl mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus coxii (Cox's mariposa lily) (32871534640).jpg120px]]Calochortus coxii Cox's mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus dunnii - Flickr 005.jpg120px]]Calochortus dunnii Dunn's mariposa lily — rare
[[File:Calochortus elegans - Flickr. 004.jpg120px]]Calochortus elegans northwestern mariposa lily; star tulip
[[File:Calochortus eurycarpus - Flickr 003.jpg120px]]Calochortus eurycarpus white mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus excavatus - Flickr 003.jpg120px]]Calochortus excavatus Inyo mariposa lily
Calochortus exilisHidalgo
[[File:Calochortus fimbriatus - Flickr 006.jpg120px]]Calochortus fimbriatus late-blooming mariposa lily — rare
[[File:Calochortus flexuosus 12.jpg120px]]Calochortus flexuosus winding mariposa lily
Calochortus foliosusMichoacán
Calochortus fuscusMexico
[[File:Calochortus greenei (Greene's mariposa lily) (33362137282).jpg120px]]Calochortus greenei Green's mariposa lily — rare
[[File:Calochortus ghiesbreghtii imported from iNaturalist photo 317118314 on 2 May 2024.jpg120px]]Calochortus ghiesbreghtii
[[File:Calochortus gunnisonii gunnisonii crop.jpg120px]]Calochortus gunnisonii Gunnison's mariposa lily
Calochortus hartwegiiAguascalientes, Nayarit, Jalisco
[[File:Calochortus howellii (Howell's mariposa lily) (33171541356).jpg120px]]Calochortus howellii Howell's mariposa lily
†Calochortus indecorus Sexton Mountain mariposa lilyOR - extinct
[[File:Calochortus invenustus - Flickr 005.jpg120px]]Calochortus invenustus plain mariposa lily
[[File:Desert mariposa, Calochortus kennedyi var. kennedyi (15453609041).jpg120px]]Calochortus kennedyi desert mariposa lily
[[File:Sierra Mariposa Lily - Calochortus leichtlinii, Packer Lake, California.jpg120px]]Calochortus leichtlinii smokey mariposa
[[File:Calochortus longibarbatus (longbeard mariposa lily) (6009702800).jpg120px]]Calochortus longibarbatus longbeard mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus luteus - Flickr 007.jpg120px]]Calochortus luteus yellow mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus lyallii - Flickr 003.jpg120px]]Calochortus lyallii Lyall's mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus macrocarpus-6-22-05.jpg120px]]Calochortus macrocarpus sagebrush mariposa lily
Calochortus marcellaeNuevo León, Coahuila, Tamaulipas
Calochortus mendozaeQuerétaro, San Luis Potosí
[[File:Calochortusminimus.jpg120px]]Calochortus minimus Sierran mariposa lily
†Calochortus monanthus Shasta River mariposa lilyCA (presumed extinct)
[[File:Calochortus monophyllus.jpg120px]]Calochortus monophyllus yellow startulip
Calochortus nigrescensOaxaca
[[File:Calochortusnitidus.jpg120px]]Calochortus nitidus broad-fruit mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus nudus - Flickr. 005.jpg120px]]Calochortus nudus naked mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus nuttallii 302339098.jpg120px]]Calochortus nuttallii sego lily, (state flower of Utah)
[[File:Calochortus obispoensis - Flickr 005.jpg120px]]Calochortus obispoensis San Luis mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus palmeri - Flickr 003.jpg120px]]Calochortus palmeri Palmer's mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus panamintensis.jpg120px]]Calochortus panamintensis Panamint Mountain mariposa lily — rare
[[File:Calochortus persistens 2.jpg120px]]Calochortus persistens Siskiyou mariposa lily — rare
[[File:Calochortus plummerae - Flickr 007.jpg120px]]Calochortus plummerae Plummer's mariposa lily — rare
[[File:Calochortus pringlei 142445683.jpg120px]]Calochortus pringlei
[[File:Calochortus pulchellus - Flickr 004.jpg120px]]Calochortus pulchellus Mount Diablo globelily
[[File:Calochortus raichei (Cedars mariposa lily) (32976083992).jpg120px]]Calochortus raichei Cedars mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus simulans - Flickr 004.jpg120px]]Calochortus simulans San Luis Obispo mariposa lily
Calochortus spatulatusMexico
[[File:Liliaceae Calochortus splendens 1.jpg120px]]Calochortus splendens splendid mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus striatus 1.jpg120px]]Calochortus striatus alkali mariposa lily
[[File:Subalpine Mariposa Lily 01 (7913979746).jpg120px]]Calochortus subalpinus subalpine mariposa lily, Cascade mariposa lily, cat's ear lily
[[File:Calochortussuperbus.jpg120px]]Calochortus superbus superb mariposa
[[File:Calochortus syntrophus (Callahan's mariposa lily) (33451823666).jpg120px]]Calochortus syntrophus Callahan's mariposa lily
[[File:Tiburon Mariposa Lily 07 (3563461380).jpg120px]]Calochortus tiburonensis Tiburon mariposa
[[File:Calochortus tolmiei - Flickr 004.jpg120px]]Calochortus tolmiei Tolmie's star-tulip, hairy pussy ears
[[File:Calochortus umbellatus.jpg120px]]Calochortus umbellatus Oakland mariposa lily
[[File:Calochortus umpquaensis.jpg120px]]Calochortus umpquaensis Umpqua mariposa lily
[[File:Pink star-tulip imported from iNaturalist photo 265605853 on 2 May 2024.jpg120px]]Calochortus uniflorus mariposa 'Cupido'
[[File:Calochortus venustulus imported from iNaturalist photo 49765883 on 2 May 2024.jpg120px]]Calochortus venustulus
[[File:Calochortus venustus - Flickr 006.jpg120px]]Calochortus venustus butterfly mariposa, white mariposa
[[File:Calochortus vestae - Flickr 005.jpg120px]]Calochortus vestae Vesta's mariposa, Coast Range mariposa
[[File:Calochortus weedii - Flickr 006.jpg120px]]Calochortus weedii Weed's mariposa
[[File:Shirley Meadows star-tulip imported from iNaturalist photo 286019466 on 2 May 2024.jpg120px]]Calochortus westonii Shirley Meadow star-tulip, Weston's mariposa
::

Etymology

The word Calochortus is derived from Greek and means "beautiful grass".

Distribution and habitat

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.

The plants grow in open areas in partial shade over a wide range of elevations. T. B. Patterson's phylogenetic analysis indicated highly localized speciation, with different floral syndromes being strongly linked to specific habitats, as follows:

  • Mariposas: dry grasslands, open chaparral, semideserts
  • Star-tulips: wet meadows
  • Cat's ears: montane woodlands
  • Fairy lanterns: oak woodlands, closed forests.

Uses

Culinary

The bulbs of many species were eaten by Native Americans, being eaten raw or gathered in the fall and boiled. The flower buds were eaten young and fresh. They were eaten by Mormon settlers, especially in 1848 as a famine food when their cultivated crops were attacked by crickets. The bulbs are a starchy food source similar to a potato tuber.

Some Native Americans called Calochortus "sego". They used it as food, in ceremonies 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.

Notes

References

References

  1. [http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40035364 Tropicos, ''Calochortus'' Pursh]
  2. [http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/synonomy.do?name_id=301625 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]
  3. ''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607
  4. Harrington, Harold David. (1972). "Western Edible Wild Plants". University of New Mexico Press.
  5. Dale, Nancy; ''Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains'', Capra Press, 1986; pg. 28
  6. Mathew, Brian. (1987). "The Smaller Bulbs". B.T. Batsford.
  7. Taylor, Ronald J.. (1994). "Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary". Mountain Press Pub. Co.
  8. [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=105173 Flora of North America, Vol. 26 Page 119 ''Calochortus'' Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. 1814. ]
  9. [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/396662#page/285/mode/1up Pursh, Frederick Traugott. 1813. Flora Americae Septentrionalis; or, A systematic arrangement and description of the plants of North America. Containing, besides what have been described by preceding authors, many new and rare species, collected during twelve years travels and residence in that country 1: 240] in English and Latin
  10. (1943). "Cytological Studies in Relation to the Classification of the Genus Calochortus. III". Botanical Gazette.
  11. Rasmussen, F. N.. (1985). "Superorder Liliiflorae". Springer.
  12. Patterson, TB. 1999. Phylogeny, biogeography, and evolutionary trends in the core Liliales and Calochortus (Calochortaceae): Insights from DNA sequenced data (Ph.D.). United States -- Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin - Madison.
  13. (2002). "PHYLOGENY, CONCERTED CONVERGENCE, AND PHYLOGENETIC NICHE CONSERVATISM IN THE CORE LILIALES: INSIGHTS FROM rbcL AND ndhF SEQUENCE DATA". Evolution.
  14. (2003). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.
  15. (1998). "An Ordinal Classification for the Families of Flowering Plants". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
  16. (2004). "Geographic cohesion, chromosomal evolution, parallel adaptive radiations, and consequent floral adaptations in Calochortus (Calochortaceae): evidence from a cpDNA phylogeny". New Phytologist.
  17. Fiedler, Peggy Lee. (1985). "Heavy Metal Accumulation and the Nature of Edaphic Endemism in the Genus Calochortus (Liliaceae)". American Journal of Botany.
  18. Gerritsen, Mary E and Parsons, R. ''Calochortus. Mariposa Lilies and Their Relatives''. Timber Press, 2007.
  19. [http://bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Calochortus Biota of North America Program 2034 county distribution maps]
  20. Espejo Serena, A. & López-Ferrari, A.R. (1994). Las Monocotiledóneas Mexicanas una Sinopsis Florística 1(3): 1-74. Consejo Nacional de la Flora de México, México D.F.
  21. Gerritsen, M.E. & Parsons, R. (2007). Calochortus: Mariposa lilies & their relatives: 1-232. Timber press, Inc. Portland, U.S.A.
  22. USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, ''Plant Profile for ''Calochortus'' Pursh''; Data contributed by John K. Kartesz and USDA-NRCS National Plant Data Center
  23. P. L. Fiedler & R. K. Zebell, ''Flora of North America''; [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=105173 18. Calochortus Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. 1814.]
  24. "University of Michigan at Dearborn, Native American Ethnobotany: ''Calochortus''".
  25. Ownbey, Marion. (1940). "A Monograph of the Genus Calochortus". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
  26. "Telos Rare Bulbs Nursery database: ''Calochortus''".

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calochortusliliaceae-generataxa-named-by-frederick-traugott-pursh