superb mariposa - CA Calochortus syntrophus Callahan's mariposa lily - CA Calochortus tiburonensis Tiburon mariposa - CA Calochortus tolmiei Tolmie's star-tulip, hairy pussy ears - CA OR WA Calochortus umbellatus Oakland mariposa lily - CA Calochortus umpquaensis Umpqua mariposa lily - OR Calochortus uniflorus mariposa 'Cupido' - CA OR Calochortus venustulus - Mexico Calochortus venustus butterfly mariposa, white mariposa - CA Calochortus vestae Vesta's mariposa, Coast Range mariposa - CA Calochortus weedii Weed's mariposa - CA, Baja Calilfornia Calochortus westonii Shirley Meadow star-tulip, Weston's mariposa - 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. Of these, 28 species are endemic to California. In 1998, T.B. Patterson conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the genus, dividing it into seven main clades. The study indicated highly localized speciation, so that different clades were strongly linked to specific habitats, as follows: Mariposas: dry grasslands, open chaparral, semideserts Star-tulips: wet meadows Cat's ears: montane woodlands Fairy lanterns: oak woodlands, closed forests. Uses Culinary The bulbs of many species were eaten by Native Americans. These bulbs were eaten raw or gathered in the fall and boiled, and the flower buds when young and fresh. 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. Native Americans called Calochortus "sego". They used it as food, in ceremonies and as a traditional medicinal plant. Cultivation Some Calochortus species are cultivated as ornamental plants by specialty nurseries and botanic gardens to sell. The bulbs are planted for their flowers, in traditional, native plant, and wildlife gardens; in rock gardens; and in potted container gardens for those needing unwatered Summer dormancy. See also List of plants known as lily Notes References Treatment from the Jepson Manual (TJM93) Gerritsen, Mary E and Parsons, R. Calochortus. Mariposa Lilies and Their Relatives. Timber Press, 2007. Pacific Bulb Society External links Calflora Database: Calochortus — all species native to California. photos by Mark Egger, Flickriver search for Calochortus many photos of many species Jepson Manual (TJM93): Key to California Calochortus species Genus overview, Key to North American species Gallery of Photos. US and Mexican Calochortus Species and Natural Hybrids