LILY FAMILY 



445 



The species is extremely variable in coloration and markings. Some color forms will appear fairly con- 

 stant in a colony or over considerable range, only to break up into a veritable riot of color forms elsewhere. 

 A number of these color strains have been given varietal names: 



Calochortus venustus purpurascens S. Wats. The Sierra Nevada plants differ from the Coast Range forms 

 in having relatively narrow and more deeply colored petals, the terminal reddish blotch is more often absent, 

 the variation in color especially in the southern Sierra Nevada is often to deep purple. Calochortus venustus 

 eldorado Purdy was proposed as a name applying to the entire Sierran variation, while [>urpiirascens S. Wats, 

 was applied merely to the purple forms of the strain. 



Calochortus vesta Purdy is the larger flowered variation of the north Coast Ranges, marked with a broad 

 reddish or dark brown band across the middle, instead of with an eye-spot. 



Calochortus venustus caroli Cockerell (Calochortus venustus purpurascens Purdy, not S. Wats.). Flowers 

 lilac to jiurjile. with a definite eye-spot, but without the terminal reddish blotch. This color variant is common 

 in the Coast Ranges from San Francisco Bay to San Luis Obispo County. 



Calochortus venustus sulphureus Purdy. Flowers a light yellow, with "a central eye-spot and a terminal 

 rose-colored blotch. Has been found at Alcalde, Kern County, and at Newhall, Los Angeles County, the 

 southern limit of the species. 



39. Calochortus plummerae Greene. Plummer's Mariposa. Fig. 1095. 



Calochortus wcedii purpurascens S. Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 14: 

 265. 1879, in part. 



Calochortus plummerae Greene, Pittonia 2: 70. 1890. 



Stem simple or branching, 4-8 dm. high ; basal 

 leaves 1 or more, Ihiear, convolute, attenuate above ; 

 cauline leaves usually several, often 10 cm. long or 

 more, narrowly attenuate ; flowers several and soli- 

 tary on the racemose branches, or when reduced to 2 

 appearing umbellate ; sepals lanceolate, acuminate, about 

 equalling the petals, tinged with purple ; petals fan- 

 shaped, somewhat rounded at apex, 30-40 mm. long, 

 purple, the margin entire or sometimes ciliate, clothed 

 to near the apex with orange-colored hairs ; gland or- 

 bicular, densely clothed with short hairs ; anthers 

 oblong-lanceolate, acutish, 10-14 mm. long, equalling 

 the dilated filaments ; capsule linear, acuminate, 5 cm. 

 long, 6 miu. thick. 



Dry gravelly hillsides. Upper Sonoran Zone; Los Angeles to 

 Riverside and Orange Counties. Type locality: Mill Creek Caiion, 

 San Bernardino Mountains, California. 



40. Calochortus weedii Wood. Weed's Mariposa. Fig. 1096. 



Calochortus wcedii Wood, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1868: 169. 

 1868. 



Calochortus luteiis weedii Baker, Tourn. Linn. Soc. 14: 

 306. 1874. 



Calochortus citrinus Baker, Bot. Mag. 101: pi. 6200. 

 1875. 



Stem simple or coinmonly branching, 3-5 dm. 

 high. Leaves linear, long-attenuate, the basal 

 nearly equalling the stem ; flowers 1-4, termi- 

 nating the stiff branches ; sepals ovate-lanceo- 

 late, or lanceolate-acuminate, shorter than or 

 exceeding the petals, yellow within and penciled 

 with brown ; petals deep yellow, penciled and 

 often bordered with orange-brown, fan-shaped. 

 25-35 mm. long, truncate-rounded at apex, and 

 often apiculate, strongly ciliate on the summit, 

 the entire inner surface above the gland villous 

 with yellow hairs ; gland orbicular, 4 mm. wide 

 covered with reflexed light yellow hairs ; fila- 

 ments 12-15 mm. long, dilated below ; anthers 

 oblong, obtuse. 8-10 mm. long; capsule linear, 

 acuminate. 5 cm. long. 



Dry gravelly hills and mesas. Upper Sonoran Zone; 

 lyestern San Diego County, California. Type locality: 

 San Diego, California. 



