Plummer's Mariposa Lily
Calochortus plummerae
Family: Liliaceae
Flower: There are two to six flowers on the 12 to 24 inch inflorescence. The flower, comprised of three petals and three sepals, is widely bell-shaped, pale pink to rose speckled with maroon, drying purplish with long yellow hairs in a wide central band.
Description: Calochortus plummerae, 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 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA.) Often mistaken for a poppy, is it a member of the lily family.
It can be easy to grow preferring well-draining soil, a dry summer, part shade and a moist winter and spring.
Habitat: Dry, rocky chaparral; yellow-pine forest, valley grassland
Range: South Coast, Peninsular ranges and grows in the following counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura. Although not listed specifically in the Transverse Ranges, it has been seen and photographed in both the San Bernardino and San Garbriel mountains foothills.
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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