View source for Calochortus

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}
{{Expand Spanish|Calochortus|topic=sci|date=December 2009}}
{{Clear}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Sego lily cm.jpg
|image_caption = Sego Lily ''([[Calochortus nuttallii]])''
|taxon = Calochortus
|authority = [[Frederick Traugott Pursh|Pursh]]
|type_species = ''[[Calochortus elegans]]''
|type_species_authority = [[Frederick Traugott Pursh|Pursh]]<ref>[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40035364 Tropicos, ''Calochortus'' Pursh]</ref>
|synonyms_ref = <ref name=diana>[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/synonomy.do?name_id=301625 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref>
|synonyms =
* ''Cyclobothra'' <small>D.Don</small>
* ''Mariposa'' <small>(Alph.Wood) Hoover</small>
}}

'''''Calochortus''''' {{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|æ|l|ə|ˈ|k|ɔːr|t|ə|s|,_|-|l|oʊ|-}}{{refn|{{Dictionary.com|accessdate=2016-01-22|Calochortus}}}}<ref>''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607</ref> is a genus of [[flowering plant]]s in the lily family. The group includes [[herbaceous]], [[perennial]] and [[bulb]]ous species, all native to [[North America]] (primarily the [[Western United States]]).<ref name=kira>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=105173 Flora of North America, Vol. 26 Page 119 ''Calochortus'' Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. 1814. ]</ref><ref>[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/396662#page/285/mode/1up Pursh, Frederick Traugott. 1813.  Flora Americae Septentrionalis; or, A systematic arrangement and description of the plants of North America. Containing, besides what have been described by preceding authors, many new and rare species, collected during twelve years travels and residence in that country 1: 240] in English and Latin</ref>

The genus ''Calochortus'' includes '''mariposas''' (or '''mariposa lilies''') with open wedge-shaped petals, '''globe lilies''' and '''fairy lanterns''' with globe-shaped flowers, and '''cat's ears''' and '''star tulips''' with erect pointed petals. The word ''Calochortus'' is derived from Greek and means "beautiful grass".<ref name=kira/>

==Description==
''Calochortus'' flowers have six [[tepal]]s. Unlike most other [[Liliaceae]], ''Calochortus'' tepals are in two series that differ in size and color.<ref name=Dale1986 /> The outer three are generally narrower and more [[sepal]]-like, while the inner three are larger, usually with bright marks at the base,<ref name=Math87>{{Citation |mode=cs1 |last=Mathew |first=Brian |year=1987 |title=The Smaller Bulbs |publication-place=London |publisher=B.T. Batsford |isbn=978-0-7134-4922-8 |page=22}}</ref>  and are often described as [[petal]]s.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Taylor|first=Ronald J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/25708726|title=Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary|publisher=Mountain Press Pub. Co|year=1994|isbn=0-87842-280-3|edition=rev.|location=Missoula, MT|pages=74|language=en|oclc=25708726|orig-year=1992}}</ref> The flowers are borne on a stem that arises from a bulb, generally in the spring or early summer.  Flowers can be white, yellow, pink, purple, bluish, or streaked. The insides of the petals are often very 'hairy'. These hairs, along with the nectaries, are often used in distinguishing species from each other.<ref name=kira/>

;Species<ref name=diana/><ref>Gerritsen, Mary E and Parsons, R. ''Calochortus. Mariposa Lilies and Their Relatives''. Timber Press, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Calochortus Biota of North America Program 2034 county distribution maps]</ref><ref>Espejo Serena, A. & López-Ferrari, A.R. (1994). Las Monocotiledóneas Mexicanas una Sinopsis Florística 1(3): 1-74. Consejo Nacional de la Flora de México, México D.F.</ref><ref>Gerritsen, M.E. & Parsons, R. (2007). Calochortus: Mariposa lilies & their relatives: 1-232. Timber press, Inc. Portland, U.S.A.</ref> 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Scientific name!! Subspecies !!Distribution
|-
|[[File:Calochortusalbus.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus albus]]'' white globelily|| || [[California|CA]], [[Baja California]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus amabilis - Flickr 003.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus amabilis]]'' Diogenes' lantern || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus ambiguus - Flickr 007.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus ambiguus]]'' doubting mariposa lily || || [[Utah|UT]] [[Arizona|AZ]] [[New Mexico|NM]] [[Sonora]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus amoenus.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus amoenus]]'' purple globelily || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus apiculatus - Flickr 004.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus apiculatus]]'' pointed-tip mariposa lily || ||[[British Columbia]], [[Alberta]], [[Washington (state)|WA]] [[Oregon|OR]] [[Idaho|ID]] [[Montana|MT]] [[Wyoming|WY]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus argillosus 8S6A1783.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus argillosus]]'' || || [[California|CA]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus aureus flora1.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus aureus]]'' golden mariposa lily || || [[Utah|UT]] [[Colorado|CO]] [[Arizona|AZ]] [[New Mexico|NM]]
|-
| ||''[[Calochortus balsensis]]'' || || [[Oaxaca]], [[Guerrero]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus barbatus (9729039412) - cropped.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus barbatus]]'' yellow globe lily || || from [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]] to [[Oaxaca]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus bruneaunis-5-20-04.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus bruneaunis]]'' Bruneau mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] [[Oregon|OR]] [[Nevada|NV]] [[Utah|UT]] [[Idaho|ID]] [[Montana|MT]]
|-
|[[File:2016.06.16 14.54.37 DSC04904 - Flickr - andrey zharkikh.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus catalinae]]'' Santa Catalina mariposa lily — (''threatened by development'')|| || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus cernuus imported from iNaturalist photo 226162154 on 2 May 2024.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus cernuus]]'' || || [[Morelos]]
|-
|[[File:Cisco mariposa imported from iNaturalist photo 40297962 on 2 May 2024.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus ciscoensis]]'' || || [[Utah|UT]] 
|-
|[[File:Club-haired Calochortus (Calochortus clavatus).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus clavatus]]'' club-hair mariposa lily || 
*''Calochortus clavatus var. avius'' '''-rare''', 
*''Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis''
*''Calochortus clavatus ssp. clavatus''
*''Calochortus clavatus ssp. pallidus''
*''Calochortus clavatus ssp. recurvifolius'' — '''rare''' 
|| [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus coeruleus - Flickr. 003.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus coeruleus]]'' beavertail grass || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Goldenbowl mariposa lily imported from iNaturalist photo 202467849 on 2 May 2024.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus concolor]]'' golden-bowl mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]], [[Baja California]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus coxii (Cox's mariposa lily) (32871534640).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus coxii]]'' Cox's mariposa lily || || [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus dunnii - Flickr 005.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus dunnii]]'' Dunn's mariposa lily  — '''rare''' || || [[California|CA]], [[Baja California]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus elegans - Flickr. 004.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus elegans]]'' northwestern mariposa lily; star tulip || 
*''Calochortus elegans var. elegans'' elegant mariposa lily
*''Calochortus elegans ''var.'' nanus''
*''Calochortus elegans ''var.'' oreophilus'' elegant mariposa lily
*''Calochortus elegans ''var.'' selwayensis'' Selway mariposa lily
|| [[California|CA]] [[Oregon|OR]] [[Washington (state)|WA]] [[Idaho|ID]] [[Montana|MT]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus eurycarpus - Flickr 003.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus eurycarpus]]'' white mariposa lily || || [[Oregon|OR]] [[Washington (state)|WA]] [[Nevada|NV]] [[Idaho|ID]] [[Montana|MT]] [[Wyoming|WY]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus excavatus - Flickr 003.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus excavatus]]'' Inyo mariposa lily || || (''threatened by groundwater development'') - [[California|CA]] 
|-
| ||''[[Calochortus exilis]]'' || || [[Hidalgo (state)|Hidalgo]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus fimbriatus - Flickr 006.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus fimbriatus]]'' late-blooming mariposa lily  — '''rare''' || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus flexuosus 12.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus flexuosus]]'' winding mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] [[Nevada|NV]] [[Utah|UT]] [[Colorado|CO]] [[Arizona|AZ]] [[New Mexico|NM]] [[Baja California]], [[Sonora]]
|-
| ||''[[Calochortus foliosus]]'' || || [[Michoacán]]
|-
| ||''[[Calochortus fuscus]]'' || || [[Mexico]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus greenei (Greene's mariposa lily) (33362137282).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus greenei]]'' Green's mariposa lily  — '''rare''' || || [[California|CA]] [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus ghiesbreghtii imported from iNaturalist photo 317118314 on 2 May 2024.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus ghiesbreghtii]]'' || || Mexico, Guatemala
|-
|[[File:Calochortus gunnisonii gunnisonii crop.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus gunnisonii]]'' Gunnison's mariposa lily || 
*''Calochortus gunnisonii'' var. ''gunnisonii''
*''Calochortus gunnisonii'' var. ''perpulcher''
|| [[Idaho|ID]] [[Montana|MT]] [[Wyoming|WY]] [[South Dakota|SD]] [[Nebraska|NE]] [[Colorado|CO]] [[Utah|UT]] [[Arizona|AZ]] [[New Mexico|NM]]
|-
| ||''[[Calochortus hartwegii]]'' || || [[Aguascalientes]], [[Nayarit]], [[Jalisco]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus howellii (Howell's mariposa lily) (33171541356).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus howellii]]'' Howell's mariposa lily || || [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
| ||†''[[Calochortus indecorus]]'' Sexton Mountain mariposa lily || || [[Oregon|OR]] - [[extinct]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus invenustus - Flickr 005.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus invenustus]]'' plain mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] [[Nevada|NV]] 
|-
|[[File:Desert mariposa, Calochortus kennedyi var. kennedyi (15453609041).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus kennedyi]]'' desert mariposa lily || 
*''Calochortus kennedyi'' var.'' kennedyi''
*''Calochortus kennedyi'' var.'' munzii''
|| [[California|CA]] [[Nevada|NV]] [[Arizona|AZ]] [[Sonora]], [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]]

|-
|[[File:Sierra Mariposa Lily - Calochortus leichtlinii, Packer Lake, California.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus leichtlinii]]'' smokey mariposa || || [[California|CA]] [[Nevada|NV]] [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus longibarbatus (longbeard mariposa lily) (6009702800).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus longibarbatus]]'' longbeard mariposa lily ||
*''Calochortus longibarbatus'' var.'' longibarbatus'' —  (''threatened by grazing'')
*''Calochortus longibarbatus'' var.'' peckii''
|| [[California|CA]] [[Oregon|OR]] [[Washington (state)|WA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus luteus - Flickr 007.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus luteus]]'' yellow mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus lyallii - Flickr 003.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus lyallii]]'' Lyall's mariposa lily || || [[Washington (state)|WA]], [[British Columbia]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus macrocarpus-6-22-05.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus macrocarpus]]'' sagebrush mariposa lily || 
*''Calochortus macrocarpus'' var.'' macrocarpus''
*''Calochortus macrocarpus'' var.'' maculosus'' Nez Perce mariposa lily
|| [[California|CA]] [[Nevada|NV]] [[Oregon|OR]] [[Washington (state)|WA]] [[Idaho|ID]] [[Montana|MT]], [[British Columbia]]
|-
| ||''[[Calochortus marcellae]]'' || || [[Nuevo León]], [[Coahuila]], [[Tamaulipas]]
|-
| ||''[[Calochortus mendozae]]'' || || [[Querétaro]], [[San Luis Potosí]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortusminimus.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus minimus]]'' Sierran mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
| ||†''[[Calochortus monanthus]]'' Shasta River mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] (''presumed extinct'')
|-
|[[File:Calochortus monophyllus.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus monophyllus]]'' yellow startulip || || [[California|CA]] [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
| ||''[[Calochortus nigrescens]]'' || || [[Oaxaca]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortusnitidus.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus nitidus]]'' broad-fruit mariposa lily || || [[Washington (state)|WA]] [[Oregon|OR]] [[Idaho|ID]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus nudus - Flickr. 005.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus nudus]]'' naked mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus nuttallii 302339098.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus nuttallii]]'' sego lily, (''state flower of Utah'')  || || [[North Dakota|ND]] [[South Dakota|SD]] [[Nebraska|NE]] [[Montana|MT]] [[Idaho|ID]] [[Colorado|CO]] [[Utah|UT]] [[Nevada|NV]] [[Arizona|AZ]] [[New Mexico|NM]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus obispoensis - Flickr 005.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus obispoensis]]'' San Luis mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus palmeri - Flickr 003.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus palmeri]]''  Palmer's mariposa lily || 
*Calochortus palmeri var. munzii Munz's mariposa lily 
*Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri  — '''rare'''
|| [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus panamintensis.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus panamintensis]]'' Panamint Mountain mariposa lily  — '''rare'''|| || CA [[Nevada|NV]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus persistens 2.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus persistens]]'' Siskiyou mariposa lily  — '''rare''' || || [[California|CA]] [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus plummerae - Flickr 007.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus plummerae]]'' Plummer's mariposa lily  — '''rare''' || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus pringlei 142445683.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus pringlei]]'' || || [[Morelos]], [[Puebla]], [[Jalisco]], [[Oaxaca]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus pulchellus - Flickr 004.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus pulchellus]]'' Mount Diablo globelily || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus raichei (Cedars mariposa lily) (32976083992).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus raichei]]'' Cedars mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus simulans - Flickr 004.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus simulans]]'' San Luis Obispo mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
| ||''[[Calochortus spatulatus]]'' || || [[Mexico]]
|-
|[[File:Liliaceae Calochortus splendens 1.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus splendens]]'' splendid mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]], [[Baja California]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus striatus 1.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus striatus]]'' alkali mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] [[Nevada|NV]] 
|-
|[[File:Subalpine Mariposa Lily 01 (7913979746).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus subalpinus]]'' subalpine mariposa lily, Cascade mariposa lily, cat's ear lily || || [[Washington (state)|WA]] [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortussuperbus.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus superbus]]'' superb mariposa || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus syntrophus (Callahan's mariposa lily) (33451823666).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus syntrophus]]'' Callahan's mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Tiburon Mariposa Lily 07 (3563461380).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus tiburonensis]]'' Tiburon mariposa || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus tolmiei - Flickr 004.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus tolmiei]]'' Tolmie's star-tulip, hairy pussy ears  || || [[California|CA]] [[Oregon|OR]] [[Washington (state)|WA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus umbellatus.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus umbellatus]]'' Oakland mariposa lily || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus umpquaensis.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus umpquaensis]]'' Umpqua mariposa lily || || [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
|[[File:Pink star-tulip imported from iNaturalist photo 265605853 on 2 May 2024.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus uniflorus]]'' mariposa 'Cupido' || || [[California|CA]] [[Oregon|OR]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus venustulus imported from iNaturalist photo 49765883 on 2 May 2024.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus venustulus]]'' || || [[Mexico]]
|-
|[[File:Calochortus venustus - Flickr 006.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus venustus]]'' butterfly mariposa, white mariposa || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus vestae - Flickr 005.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus vestae]]'' Vesta's mariposa, Coast Range mariposa || || [[California|CA]] 
|-
|[[File:Calochortus weedii - Flickr 006.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus weedii]]'' Weed's mariposa || || [[California|CA]], Baja Calilfornia
|-
|[[File:Shirley Meadows star-tulip imported from iNaturalist photo 286019466 on 2 May 2024.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Calochortus westonii]]'' Shirley Meadow star-tulip, Weston's mariposa || || [[California|CA]]
|-
|}

==Distribution and habitat==
The genus ''Calochortus'' includes approximately 70 species distributed from southwestern [[British Columbia]], through [[California]] and [[Mexico]], to northern [[Guatemala]] and eastwards to [[New Mexico]], [[Nebraska]] and the [[Dakotas]].  ''Calochortus'' is the most widely dispersed genus of [[Liliaceae]] on the North American Pacific Coast.<ref name=Dale1986>Dale, Nancy; ''Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains'', Capra Press, 1986; pg. 28</ref> Of these, 28 species are [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to [[California]].<ref>USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, ''Plant Profile for ''Calochortus'' Pursh''; Data contributed by John K. Kartesz and USDA-NRCS National Plant Data Center</ref>

In 1998, T.B. Patterson conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the genus, dividing it into seven main clades (see '''Subdivision update''' below). The study indicated highly localized speciation, so that different floral syndromes were strongly linked to specific habitats, as follows:<ref>P. L. Fiedler & R. K. Zebell, ''Flora of North America''; [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=105173 18. Calochortus Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. 1814.]</ref> 
*Mariposas: dry grasslands, open [[chaparral]], semideserts
*Star-tulips: [[wet meadow]]s
*Cat's ears: montane woodlands
*Fairy lanterns: [[oak woodland]]s, closed forests.

== Taxonomy ==

=== History ===
''Calochortus'' was first proposed in 1814 by [[Frederick Traugott Pursh|Frederick Pursh]] to accommodate a specimen—''[[Calochortus elegans|C. elegans]]''—received from the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|Lewis and Clark expedition]]. <ref name=":0" /> In the 1800s, several species were added to the genus; however, much mistakes in naming conventions led to confusion and minimal knowledge gained by the end of the century. <ref name=":0" /> 

In 1940, [[Francis Marion Ownbey]] wrote a comprehensive [[monograph]] on ''Calochortus'', referencing morphological evidence, geographical distribution, and his own study of cytological material. Ownbey proposed a treatment dividing ''Calochortus'' into three sections (later corroborated by J.M. Beal<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Beal |first1=J. M. |last2=Ownbey |first2=Marion |date=1943 |title=Cytological Studies in Relation to the Classification of the Genus Calochortus. III |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/335169 |journal=Botanical Gazette |language=en |volume=104 |issue=4 |pages=553–562 |doi=10.1086/335169 |issn=0006-8071|url-access=subscription }}</ref>):

# Eucalochortus
#* Ten basic chromosomes and two known cases of [[Polyploidy|tetraploidy]]
#* Includes subsections Pulchelli, Eleganti, Nudi, Nitidi
# Mariposa
#* Basic chromosome numbers between six and nine
#* Includes subsections Venusti, Macrocarpi, Nuttalliani, Gunnisoniani
# Cyclobothra
#* Nine basic chromosomes
#* Includes subsection Weediani

In 1985, F.N. Rasmussen developed a new treatment splitting ''Calochortus'' from Liliaceae, moving it into a separate family—Calochortaceae—based on chromosomal evidence, septicidal fruit, and a Polygonum type embryo sac formation.<ref>{{Citation |last=Rasmussen |first=F. N. |title=Superorder Liliiflorae |date=1985 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61663-1_11 |work=The Families of the Monocotyledons: Structure, Evolution, and Taxonomy |pages=107–274 |editor-last=Dahlgren |editor-first=Rolf M. T. |access-date=2023-12-27 |place=Berlin, Heidelberg |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-61663-1_11 |isbn=978-3-642-61663-1 |editor2-last=Clifford |editor2-first=H. Trevor |editor3-last=Yeo |editor3-first=Peter F.|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Rasmussen found that the basic chromosome numbers of Calochortus vary between seven and twenty.

=== Subdivision update ===
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Thomas B. Patterson and [[Thomas J. Givnish]] gathered additional evidence to create a new ''Calochortus'' treatment, subdividing it into <u>seven sections</u> and providing reasoning behind ''Calochortus'' being separate from Liliaceae. In 1999, Patterson used [[Chloroplast DNA|cpDNA]] (specifically [[RuBisCO|rbcL]] and ndhF sequences) isolated from frozen or silica dried leaf tissue to develop a [[Molecular phylogenetics|molecular phylogeny]], finding that ''Calochortus'' should be divided into seven major clades based on geographic location:<ref>Patterson, TB. 1999. Phylogeny, biogeography, and evolutionary trends in the core Liliales and Calochortus (Calochortaceae): Insights from DNA sequenced data (Ph.D.). United States -- Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin - Madison.</ref> 

* Bay Area
* Pacific Northwest
* San Diego
* Great Basin- Rocky Mountains
* Coast Ranges- Sierra Nevada
* Southwestern California
* Central Mexico

Patterson also determined at the time that concerted [[Convergence (evolution)|convergence]] and [[phylogenetic niche conservatism]] may have confounded the idea that Calochortaceae (''Calochortus'') and Liliaceae are closely related. In 2002, Patterson and Givnish expanded on these arguments, showing that concerted convergence was demonstrated through independent evolution of characteristics such as bulbs and showy flowers and the distinct differences of these appearing as a result of survival in specific habitats.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Patterson |first1=Thomas B. |last2=Givnish |first2=Thomas J. |date=2002 |title=PHYLOGENY, CONCERTED CONVERGENCE, AND PHYLOGENETIC NICHE CONSERVATISM IN THE CORE LILIALES: INSIGHTS FROM rbcL AND ndhF SEQUENCE DATA |journal=Evolution |language=en |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=233–252 |doi=10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb01334.x |issn=0014-3820|doi-access=free |pmid=11926492 }}</ref> Regarding phylogenetic niche conservatism, Patterson and Givnish make the argument that this phenomenon is present in the [[plesiomorphic]] characteristics of [[rhizome]]s, inconspicuous flowers, berries, broad leaves, and [[reticulate venation]].

In 2004, Patterson and Givnish made the shift to lump ''Calochortus'' within Liliaceae within their paper per the recommendations of Bremer et al. (2003)<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bremer |first1=B |last2=Bremer |first2=K |last3=Chase |first3=MW |last4=Reveal |first4=JL |last5=Soltis |first5=DE |last6=Soltis |first6=PS |last7=Stevens |first7=PF |last8=Anderberg |first8=AA |last9=Fay |first9=MF |last10=Goldblatt |first10=P |last11=Judd |first11=WS |last12=Kallersjo |first12=M |last13=Karehed |first13=J |last14=Kron |first14=KA |last15=Lundberg |first15=J |date=2003 |title=An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II |url=https://academic.oup.com/botlinnean/article/141/4/399/2433548 |journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society |language=en |volume=141 |issue=4 |pages=399–436 |doi=10.1046/j.1095-8339.2003.t01-1-00158.x |issn=0024-4074|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and Bremer, Chase, and Stevens (1998).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bremer |first1=K |last2=Chase |first2=MW |last3=Stevens |first3=PF |date=1998 |title=An Ordinal Classification for the Families of Flowering Plants |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2992015 |journal=Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden |volume=85 |issue=4 |pages=531 |doi=10.2307/2992015|jstor=2992015 }}</ref> Using similar DNA collection techniques to Patterson (1999), Patterson and Givnish developed a more detailed molecular phylogeny, comparing the seven recently determined sections to Ownbey's original three and finding that Ownbey's Eucalochortus section is [[monophyletic]], Mariposa is [[paraphyletic]], and Cyclobothra is [[polyphyletic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Patterson |first1=Thomas B. |last2=Givnish |first2=Thomas J. |date=2004 |title=Geographic cohesion, chromosomal evolution, parallel adaptive radiations, and consequent floral adaptations in Calochortus (Calochortaceae): evidence from a cpDNA phylogeny |url=https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1469-8137.2003.00951.x |journal=New Phytologist |language=en |volume=161 |issue=1 |pages=253–264 |doi=10.1046/j.1469-8137.2003.00951.x |issn=0028-646X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> As a result of their research, Patterson and Givnish (2004) found that the two main factors of ''Calochortus'' [[speciation]] are: 

# Poor dispersal caused by heavy, passively dispersed seeds
# Chromosomal evolution allowing different clades to "double up" and radiate [[sympatrically]] without [[Hybridization (biology)|hybridizing]]

=== Serpentine tolerance ===
Within ''Calochortus'', almost one-third of species are characterized by [[Ultramafic rock|ultramafic]] (form [[serpentine soil]]s) habitat preferences or specific [[edaphic]] requirements, with several being [[Endemism|endemic]] to their environments.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fiedler |first=Peggy Lee |date=1985 |title=Heavy Metal Accumulation and the Nature of Edaphic Endemism in the Genus Calochortus (Liliaceae) |url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1985.tb08443.x |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=72 |issue=11 |pages=1712–1718 |doi=10.2307/2443728|jstor=2443728 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Thus, scientists have used serpentine tolerance in understanding evolutionary relationships within the genus. For instance, Patterson and Givnish (2004) created a serpentine tolerance [[phylogeny]]. 18 serpentine tolerant species were found (classified by occurring in whole or in part on serpentine soils) and the largest presence of tolerance was found in the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest clades—areas with unusually high numbers of serpentine rocks at the Earth's surface.<ref name=":1" /> In addition, Patterson and Givnish (2004) found that 11 out of 18 species displayed only two origins of serpentine tolerance in evolutionary history. 

==Uses==

=== Culinary ===
The bulbs of many species were eaten by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]].<ref name="dearborn">{{Cite web |url=http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl |title=University of Michigan at Dearborn, Native American Ethnobotany: ''Calochortus'' |access-date=2015-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204015613/http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl |archive-date=2013-12-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> These bulbs were eaten raw or gathered in the fall and boiled, and the flower buds when young and fresh.<ref name="dearborn" /> They were eaten by the [[Mormon]] settlers between 1853 and 1858 when famine threatened new immigrants in the [[Great Salt Lake]] Valley, due to crop failures. The bulbs are a starchy food source similar to a potato tuber.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Ownbey |first=Marion |date=1940 |title=A Monograph of the Genus Calochortus |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2394384 |journal=Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=371–560 |doi=10.2307/2394384|jstor=2394384 }}</ref>

Some Native Americans called ''Calochortus'' "sego". They used it as food, in ceremonies and as a traditional [[medicinal plant]].<ref name="dearborn" />

=== Cultivation ===
Some ''Calochortus'' species are cultivated as [[ornamental plants]] by specialty nurseries and botanic gardens to sell.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.telosrarebulbs.com/calochortus.html |title=Telos Rare Bulbs Nursery database: ''Calochortus'' |access-date=2015-04-17 |archive-date=2020-04-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406162840/http://www.telosrarebulbs.com/calochortus.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>  The bulbs are planted for their flowers, in traditional, [[native plant]], and [[wildlife garden]]s; in [[rock garden]]s; and in potted container gardens for those needing unwatered Summer dormancy.

==See also==

* [[List of plants known as lily]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

=== References ===
*{{ITIS |id=42823 |taxon=''Calochortus''}}
*[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Calochortus Treatment from the Jepson Manual (TJM93)]
* Gerritsen, Mary E and Parsons, R. ''Calochortus. Mariposa Lilies and Their Relatives''. Timber Press, 2007.
* [http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Calochortus Pacific Bulb Society]

==External links==
{{Commons category|Calochortus|position=left}}
*{{Commons-inline|2=''Calochortus''}}
*{{Wikispecies-inline|Calochortus|''Calochortus''}}
*[http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/specieslist.cgi?where-genus=Calochortus Calflora Database: ''Calochortus''] — ''all species native to California''.
*[http://www.flickriver.com/search/calochortus/ photos by Mark Egger, Flickriver search for ''Calochortus''] many photos of many species
*[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_key.pl?Calochortus Jepson Manual (TJM93): Key to California ''Calochortus'' species]
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=105173 Genus overview, Key to North American species]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121106101359/http://picasaweb.google.com/navbo123/AGalleryOfCalochortusSpeciesAndNaturalHybrids%23  Gallery of Photos. US and Mexican Calochortus Species and Natural Hybrids]

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{{Liliaceae}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1288804}}
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[[Category:Calochortus| ]]
[[Category:Liliaceae genera]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Frederick Traugott Pursh]]