Calochortus macrocarpus

Sagebrush mariposa lily

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Sagebrush mariposa lily is a California native perennial found in northern California Ranges and Great Basin in sagebrush scrub and yellow-pine forest at elevations of 1,300 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces striking purple flowers with green stripes, 35 to 60 millimeters long, featuring distinctive purple-banded petals with dense beard-like hairs near the nectary. Growing 20 to 50 centimeters tall with a stout, generally simple stem, it develops distinctive bulblets and appears glaucous with a bluish-gray surface. Its basal leaves are 5 to 10 centimeters long and wither quickly, while cauline leaves are 2 to 5 in number, 5 to 20 centimeters long with inrolled tips that curl at the ends. The plant produces an erect, lanceolate fruit 4 to 5 centimeters long, containing flat, net-like seeds in light yellow or tan coloration.

Habitat: Common. Sagebrush scrub, yellow-pine forest, generally volcanic soil

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 1300-2000 m

Bioregions: n CaR, GB

California counties: Lassen, Modoc, Siskiyou, Shasta

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