''Calochortus vestae'' is a

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

species of flowering plants in the lily family known by the common name Coast Range mariposa lily. It is grows primarily in the forests of the

North Coast Ranges The Coast Ranges of California span from Del Norte or Humboldt County, California, south to Santa Barbara County. The other three coastal California mountain ranges are the Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges and the Klamath Mountains. Phy ...

( Sonoma,

Lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

, and Mendocino Counties), with additional populations in the southernmost Cascades in

Shasta County Shasta County (), officially the County of Shasta, is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 182,155 as of the 2020 census, up from 177,223 from the 2010 census. The county seat is Redding. ...

and also in foothills of the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

. It generally grows in clay soils.

Description

''Calochortus vestae'' is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

producing a branching stem between 30 and 50 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and withers by flowering. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is a loose cluster of 1 to 6 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three petals up to about 4 centimeters long and three

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s 2 to 3 centimeters long beneath. The

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s are white to purplish in color with a central area of pale yellow with a darker reddish or brownish blotch within. At the base of each petal is a red-streaked patch of hairs.Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Calochortus vestae''
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References

External links

United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: ''Calochortus vestae''''Calochortus vestae'' - Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
vestae Endemic flora of California Plants described in 1895 Natural history of the California Coast Ranges {{Liliales-stub