CATALINA MARIPOSA 



Calochortus catalinae Watson 



Catalina mariposa is a gay member of the genus Calochortus, of 

 which more than forty varieties are found in California. Its flowers 

 are delicately colored, their pearly petals marked with lavender. In 

 favorable situations the plant may attain a height of two feet; in 

 dry soil, although the stems are comparatively short, the flowers are 

 still of normal dimensions, making them appear larger in proportion. 



Catalina mariposa grows in southern California, and on the adja- 

 cent islands. It was described originally from Santa Catalina Island. 

 The mariposas, members of the Lily Family, are most abundant on 

 the Pacific coast, but they range eastward to the Rocky Mountains 

 and southward to the highlands of central Mexico. About fifty 

 species are known. The name mariposa is the Spanish word for 

 butterfly, and the plants are often called mariposa lilies. 



The specimen sketched was obtained near Santa Ana, California. 



PLATE ZO5 



