Calochortus westonii

Shirley meadows star-tulip, Shirley Meadows Star-Tulip

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Shirley meadows star-tulip is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains (Greenhorn Mountains) in meadows and open woodland at elevations of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces blue to white flowers with lanceolate petals 8 to 12 millimeters long, delicately bell-shaped and sparsely hairy. Growing with slender stems 3 to 15 centimeters tall, it emerges from persistent basal leaves up to 20 centimeters long and bears no cauline leaves. Its single to ten flowers spread in an open, often erect arrangement, with distinctive white to lilac anthers and a nectary bordered by ciliate membranes. The nodding fruit is 10 to 15 millimeters long and distinctly angled.

Habitat: Meadows, open woodland

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: +- 1500-2000 m.

Bioregions: s SNH (Greenhorn Mtns).

California counties: Kern, Tulare

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