San Luis mariposa lily facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Luis mariposa lily |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Calochortus
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| Species: |
obispoensis
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The Calochortus obispoensis is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the lily family and is often called the San Luis mariposa lily. This plant is quite rare.
It grows only in one specific place: San Luis Obispo County, California. When a plant or animal lives only in one small area, it is called endemic. The San Luis mariposa lily likes to grow in the chaparral areas of the coastal mountains. Chaparral is a type of natural shrubland. It often grows in special soils called serpentine soils.
About the San Luis Mariposa Lily
The San Luis mariposa lily is a 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. Its slender stem can grow up to 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) tall. The stem often has branches.
What Does It Look Like?
The plant has a main leaf at its base. This leaf can be 20 to 30 centimeters long. It usually dries up and disappears when the plant starts to flower. There might also be smaller leaves along the stem.
The plant produces 2 to 6 flowers that stand upright. Each flower has three sepals that bend backward. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. These sepals can be up to 3 centimeters long. The flower also has three flat petals, each up to 2 centimeters long.
The petals are usually yellow or orange. They have darker tips. What makes them unique is that they are covered in long, dark purple or red hairs. The edges of the petals are also fringed. After flowering, the plant forms a fruit. This fruit is an angled capsule up to 4 centimeters long. Inside the capsule, you can find clear yellow seeds.
