Coast range mariposa lily facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coast range mariposa lily |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Calochortus
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| Species: |
vestae
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| Synonyms | |
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Synonymy
Calochortus vesta Purdy, misspelling
Calochortus venustus var. vestae Purdy Calochortus luteus var. vestae (Purdy) Jeps. Calochortus venustus var. brachysepalus Regel Calochortus luteus var. oculatus S.Watson Calochortus oculatus (S.Watson) Wallace |
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The Calochortus vestae is a beautiful wild flower from California. It belongs to the lily family. People often call it the coast range mariposa lily. This name comes from where it grows and how its petals look a bit like butterfly wings.
About the Coast Range Mariposa Lily
This special lily grows mostly in the forests of the North Coast Ranges in California. You can find it in places like Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino Counties. It also grows in the southern part of the Cascades in Shasta County. Sometimes, you might even spot it in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This plant prefers to grow in clay soils.
What Does This Lily Look Like?
The Calochortus vestae is a perennial herb. This means it's a plant that comes back year after year. It does not have a woody stem like a tree. Instead, it has soft, green stems.
Its stem can grow to be about 30 to 50 centimeters tall. That's roughly the length of a ruler and a half! The plant starts with a long leaf at its base, which is about 10 to 20 centimeters long. This leaf usually dries up and disappears by the time the flower blooms.
The Beautiful Flowers
The flowers of the Calochortus vestae grow in a loose group called an inflorescence. There are usually 1 to 6 bell-shaped flowers in each cluster. Each flower stands upright.
Every flower has three petals and three sepals. The petals are the colorful parts that attract insects. They can be up to 4 centimeters long. The sepals are like small, green leaves that protect the flower bud before it opens. They are usually 2 to 3 centimeters long and sit right below the petals.
The petals of the Calochortus vestae are usually white or a light purple color. They have a pale yellow area in the middle. Inside this yellow part, there's often a darker blotch that can be reddish or brownish. At the very bottom of each petal, you can see a patch of hairs with red streaks. These unique markings make the coast range mariposa lily very easy to spot and admire!
