Calochortus nudus

Naked mariposa lily

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Naked mariposa lily is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern high Sierra Nevada, and northern Sierra Nevada Mountains in moist, grassy areas and lake and bog margins at elevations of 1,200 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this delicate lily produces white to pale lavender bell-shaped flowers with petals 14 to 16 millimeters long and distinctive purple anthers. Growing with slender stems 10 to 25 centimeters tall that are generally simple and unbranched, it emerges with a single basal leaf 5 to 15 centimeters long. Its flowers feature lance-ovate sepals and a shallow nectary bordered by a wide, ciliate membrane, creating an elegant and distinctive appearance. The plant produces an erect, winged fruit 15 to 20 millimeters long with irregular, light brown seeds featuring a distinctive net-like texture.

Habitat: Moist, grassy areas, lake, bog margins

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 1200-2500 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRH, n SNH

California counties: Mendocino, Butte, Shasta, Placer, Plumas, Mariposa, Trinity, El Dorado, Siskiyou, Lassen, Nevada, Madera, Tuolumne, Tehama, Calaveras, Tulare, Sonoma, Amador, Fresno, Yuba, Alpine

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