Desert mariposa lily facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Desert mariposa lily |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Calochortus
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| Species: |
kennedyi
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| Synonyms | |
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Calochortus speciosus M.E.Jones |
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The desert mariposa lily (scientific name: Calochortus kennedyi) is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the lily family. You can find this plant growing in the deserts of North America. It lives in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. This includes places like Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and Texas. It also grows in parts of Sonora and Chihuahua. The plant is named after a plant collector named William L. Kennedy.
About the Desert Mariposa Lily
The desert mariposa lily is a type of perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It is also an herb, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones like a tree.
What Does it Look Like?
This plant grows a thin stem that usually doesn't branch out. The stem can sometimes twist. It can grow up to 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) tall, but it's often shorter.
At the bottom of the plant, there is a single leaf. This leaf is about 10 to 20 centimeters long. It feels a bit waxy. This basal leaf (meaning at the base) usually dries up when the plant starts to flower.
The Flowers
The desert mariposa lily produces lovely bell-shaped flowers. There are usually 1 to 6 flowers in a loose group. Each flower stands upright.
Every flower has three sepals and three petals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. The petals are often spotted near their base. These petals can be up to 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) long. They come in bright colors like yellow, orange, or red.
After the flower blooms, it forms a fruit. This fruit is a long, angled capsule. It has stripes and can grow up to 6 centimeters long. This capsule holds the plant's seeds.
