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Taxon  Report  
Calochortus palmeri  S. Watson
Palmer's mariposa lily,   Strangling mariposa
Calochortus palmeri is a perennial herb that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Calochortus
Family: Liliaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands

Habitat: meadows

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Chaparral, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Information about  Calochortus palmeri from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (CAPA3)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Range, Description, Varieties: Calochortus palmeri is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names Palmer's mariposa lily and strangling mariposa.[2][3][4][5] It is endemic to California, where it is distributed in the Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges of Southern California (Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, and San Diego Counties). There is also a report of an isolated population in the Diablo Range in San Benito County[3] Description Calochortus palmeri is a perennial herb producing a straight, branching stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and withers by flowering.[4] The inflorescence bears 1 to 6 erect, open bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three brown-speckled sepals 3 centimeters long and three wider petals each 2 or 3 centimeters long. The petals are white to light lavender and have bases with yellow or purple hairs, or lacking hairs, depending on variety.[4] Varieties[2] Calochortus palmeri var. munzii. Munz's mariposa lily ? rarer of the two, and known only from the Peninsular Ranges in Riverside and San Diego Counties.[6] Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri. Palmer's mariposa lily native to the Transverse Ranges.[7] formerly included[2] Calochortus palmeri var. dunnii, now called Calochortus dunnii (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/26/2024).