Golden Mariposa Lily

Description

Calochortus aureus is a North American species of flowering plants in the lily family.It is native to the southwestern United States (Arizona, southern Utah, northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado).n Calochortus aureus is a bulb-forming perennial herb producing a single stalk up to 30 cm tall. Flowers are bright lemon-yellow with red or purple splotches on the petals. Calochortus aureus was published by Sereno Watson in 1873, based on material collected by Ellen Powell Thompson in 1872 in the vicinity of Kanab, Utah, during the US Topographical and Geological Survey of the Colorado River (led by John Wesley Powell). Her specimen is deposited at the United States National Herbarium (US). It was later reclassified as Calochortus nuttallii var. aureus by Ownbey, but is now recognized as a full species, as originally described Calochortus /ˌkæləˈkɔːrtəs, -loʊ-/ is a genus of flowering plants in the lily family. The group includes herbaceous, perennial and bulbous species, all native to North America (primarily the Western United States). 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"