28 Popular Studies of California Wild Flowers 



"Beautiful zvinged Mariposas, 



Graceful and shy and tall, 

 Poising like butterfly blossoms, 



Fairest of zvild flozvers all: 

 Dressed in your velvets and satins, 



Raiment a queen might share, 

 Loveliest jewels that summer 



Wears in her gold-brown hair." 



Who can look upon the Mariposas so endeared to poets and 

 flower lovers, without appreciation of their enchanting' beauty ? But 

 it is hard to choose a favorite from among so many forms of love- 

 liness, the gay "Butterfly Lily" of Ina Coolbrith's poem, or the 

 sainted White Lily of John Muir's choice. Charles Francis Saun- 

 ders, in speaking of C. albus, the White Globe Tulip, says : "Para- 

 phrasing a certain old dictum about the strawberry, one might say 

 that doubtless God could have made a loyelier flower, but never 

 did." This lovely little flower is also called the "Satin Bell" and 

 the "Alabaster Lily." It is sometimes called the "Hare Bell," but 

 the small Globe Tulip is not bell shaped. The tips of its petals are 

 prettily crossed ; we have another flower, quite different in appear- 

 ance, called the "Hare Bell," and it belongs to the Bell Flower 

 family, Campanulaceae. Our little Globe Tulip or "Lantern of the 

 Fairies" may often be found blooming in late spring or early sum- 

 mer in shady places, in the Coast Ranges and Sierras throughout the 

 State. A close relative of C. albus is the yellow Globe Tulip, C. pul- 

 chellus Dougl., which grows about a foot high and is found on Mt. 

 Diablo. This soft, lemon-colored flower is often confused with the 

 Golden Lily Bell, C. amabilis Purdy (the "Diogenes Lantern"), 

 which is found in the north Coast Ranges. But a marked difference 

 in the flowers is noticeable. C. pulcheilus is very rare. Pulchellus 

 means "little beauty." This flower was first collected by David 

 Douglas in the Mt. Diablo region, the only place it has ever been 

 seen, and it is seldom found of recent years. 



The little Star Tulips are exceedingly lovely and dainty blos- 

 soms. They include the dear little "Pussy's Ears" so popular with 

 children. C. maweanus, with tiny, bell-shaped flowers, is white or 

 lilac colored, and barely an inch across. The blossoms are thickly 

 covered with white or purplish hairs. It is a low little plant from 

 three to five inches high, with a few delicate, grass-like leaves and 

 branching stems. It blooms in the Coast Range and Sierra foothills 

 from Central California northward into Oregon. This variety, be- 

 cause of its color, is more frequently called "Mouse Ears." Its spe- 

 cific name, "Maweanus" was given in honor of George Maw, a 

 noted horticulturist of England. There is also a yellow "Pussy's 

 Ears," C. benthamii, and C. umbellatus, which is white or lilac 

 colored. Both are to be found in the low, wooded hills of Central 

 and Northern California. 



The Mariposa Tulips or "Butterfly Lilies" are more frequently 

 s.een on dry, open hillsides. They have three petals and three 

 sepals, and a hairy, crescent-shaped honey gland at the base of each 



