Panamint mariposa lily
Calochortus panamintensis
Color: White
Common name: Panamint mariposa lily
Latin name: Calochortus panamintensis
Family: LILIACEAE
Height: 12-23 inches tall.
Description: Flower bell-shaped; sepals 10-40 mm, dark-spotted near base; petals 20-40 mm, narrowly obovate, white tinged lilac, green-striped outside. Stem usually unbranched that can have up to 10 upright flowers.
Leaf: Narrow leaf at or near the base approximately 10-20 cm long by 6-8 mm wide, usually withering by the time the flower is fully open.
Range: n Desert Mountains (Panamint Mtns)
Habitat: Dry pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 2500-3200 m.
Flowering time: Jun-Jul
Notes: Photographed July 1, 2005, upper Wildrose Canyon, Death Valley National Park, Calif. A monocot, is a perennial herb (bulb) that is native to California and is endemic (limited) to California alone. It is included in the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants on list 4.2 (limited distribution). This species is very similar to C. invenustus with little to distinguish it and is considered by some botanists to be the same species but a regional variety.
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
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The Desert Environment
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