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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".[5]
Description
Calochortus flowers have six
tepals. Unlike most other
Liliaceae, Calochortus tepals are in two series that differ in size and color.[7] The outer three are generally narrower and more
sepal-like, while the inner three are larger, usually with bright marks at the base,[8] and are often described as
petals.[9] 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.[5]
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:[15]
Mariposas: dry grasslands, open
chaparral, semideserts
Calochortus was first proposed in 1814 by
Frederick Pursh to accommodate a specimen—C. elegans—received from the
Lewis and Clark expedition. [16] 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. [16]
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[17]):
Eucalochortus
Ten basic chromosomes and two known cases of
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. [18] 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 seven sections and providing reasoning behind Calochortus being separate from Liliaceae. In 1999, Patterson used
cpDNA (specifically
rbcL and ndhF sequences) isolated from frozen or silica dried leaf tissue to develop a
molecular phylogeny, finding that Calochortus should be divided into seven major clades based on geographic location:[19]
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 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. [20] Regarding phylogenetic niche conservatism, Patterson and Givnish make the argument that this phenomenon is present in the
plesiomorphic characteristics of
rhizomes, 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)[21] and Bremer, Chase, and Stevens (1998).[22] 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.[23] As a result of their research, Patterson and Givnish (2004) found that the two main factors of Calochortusspeciation are:
Poor dispersal caused by heavy, passively dispersed seeds
Chromosomal evolution allowing different clades to “double up” and radiate
sympatrically without
hybridizing
Serpentine tolerance
Within Calochortus, almost one-third of species are characterized by
ultramafic (form
serpentine soils) habitat preferences or specific
edaphic requirements, with several being
endemic to their environments.[24] 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.[23] 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
Native Americans.[25] These bulbs were eaten raw or gathered in the fall and boiled, and the flower buds when young and fresh.[25] 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.[16]
Native Americans called Calochortus "sego". They used it as food, in ceremonies and as a traditional
medicinal plant.[25]
Cultivation
Some Calochortus species are cultivated as
ornamental plants by specialty nurseries and botanic gardens to sell.[26] 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.
^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.
^Gerritsen, M.E. & Parsons, R. (2007). Calochortus: Mariposa lilies & their relatives: 1-232. Timber press, Inc. Portland, U.S.A.
^USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Plant Profile for Calochortus Pursh; Data contributed by John K. Kartesz and USDA-NRCS National Plant Data Center
^Rasmussen, F. N. (1985), Dahlgren, Rolf M. T.; Clifford, H. Trevor; Yeo, Peter F. (eds.),
"Superorder Liliiflorae", The Families of the Monocotyledons: Structure, Evolution, and Taxonomy, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 107–274,
doi:
10.1007/978-3-642-61663-1_11,
ISBN978-3-642-61663-1, retrieved 2023-12-27
^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.