Elegant Mariposa lily facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elegant Mariposa lily |
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| Calochortus elegans in Wenatchee National Forest | |
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Calochortus
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| Species: |
elegans
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Calochortus elegans is a beautiful wild flower. It is also known as the elegant Mariposa lily, cat's ear, or star tulip. This plant belongs to the lily family. You can find it growing in the western United States. It grows from northern California all the way to Montana.
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Meet the Elegant Mariposa Lily
The elegant Mariposa lily is a type of perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It is also a herb, which means it has soft stems instead of woody ones. This plant usually grows a single, thin stem. The stem can reach up to 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) tall.
What Does It Look Like?
The plant has a main leaf at its base. This leaf is quite long, about 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches). It stays green even when the plant is flowering. The plant produces 1 to 7 upright, bell-shaped flowers.
Flower Details
Each flower has three sepals and three petals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. The inside of the petals and their edges are very hairy. The petals are a greenish-white color. They also have a purple crescent shape. This purple mark is just above a smooth, hairless spot at the base of each petal. After the flower blooms, it forms a winged capsule. This capsule is about 2 centimeters (less than an inch) long. It holds the plant's seeds.
Where Does It Grow?
This lily is native to the western parts of the United States. You can find it in states like Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. It also grows in northern California and Montana. It prefers certain natural areas, like the Wenatchee National Forest.
Edible Parts of the Plant
The bulb of the elegant Mariposa lily can be eaten. It is a good wild root vegetable. People often cook it before eating. In situations where food is scarce, it can even be eaten raw.
Varieties of the Elegant Mariposa Lily
Just like there can be different types of apples, there are different types, or "varieties," of this lily. These varieties might have small differences in where they grow or how they look. Here are some of the known varieties:
- Calochortus elegans var. elegans - Found in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
- Calochortus elegans var. nanus - Grows in Oregon and northern California.
- Calochortus elegans var. selwayensis - Found in Idaho and Montana.
