Sierra mariposa lily facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sierra mariposa lily |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Calochortus
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| Species: |
minimus
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The Calochortus minimus is a beautiful flowering plant found in California. People often call it the Sierra mariposa lily. It belongs to the lily family.
Where This Flower Lives
The Sierra mariposa lily only grows in one special place: the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. It's very common there! You can often spot it growing near mountain lakes. It lives in a wide area, from Plumas County in the north down to Tulare County in the south.
What It Looks Like
This plant is a perennial herb, which means it grows back year after year. It has a single stem that usually doesn't grow taller than 10 centimeters (about 4 inches). The main leaf, which grows from the bottom of the plant, can be 10 to 20 centimeters long. This leaf stays green even when the flower blooms.
The plant can have up to 10 flowers. Each flower is shaped like a bell and stands upright. Every flower has three pointy green parts called sepals. It also has three small, white petals. After the flower blooms, it makes a fruit. This fruit is a winged capsule (like a seed pod) that can be up to 2 centimeters long.
