Calochortus clavatus var. avius

Pleasant valley mariposa lily, Pleasant Valley Mariposa Lily

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Pleasant valley mariposa lily is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada foothills in El Dorado and Amador counties, growing in open oak and pine forests at elevations of 900 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers with distinctive petal shapes that are generally shorter than the sepals. Growing 50 to 100 centimeters tall with erect stems that emerge from a bulb, it has an elegant, slender form typical of mariposa lilies. Its lance-shaped leaves are relatively narrow, complementing the delicate flower structure with its deep nectary. The flower's unique petal proportions and habitat specificity make this variety a notable endemic of California's mid-elevation woodlands.

Habitat: Open oak/pine forest

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 900-1800 m

Bioregions: n SNF (El Dorado, Amador cos.).

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.