Calochortus longebarbatus var. longebarbatus

Long-haired star-tulip

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Long-haired star-tulip is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains and northern Modoc Plateau in vernal meadows with heavy clay soil at elevations of 1,200 to 1,900 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces stunning pink to lavender flowers with a distinctive red-purple crescent, 20 to 30 millimeters wide, and bell-shaped perianth. Growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall with a simple stem and bulblets, it emerges from a persistent basal leaf and has one to two cauline leaves. Its basal leaves reach 20 to 30 centimeters long, creating an elegant base for the delicate flower structure. The fruit is an erect, widely elliptic capsule 20 to 25 millimeters long, containing irregular light brown seeds with a distinctive net-like pattern.

Habitat: Vernal meadows, heavy clay soil

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 1200-1900 m

Bioregions: CaRH, MP

California counties: Shasta, Modoc, Siskiyou

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