From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Calochortus amabilis

Apparently Secure  ( NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Liliaceae
Genus: Calochortus
Species:
C. amabilis
Binomial name
Calochortus amabilis
Purdy

Calochortus amabilis [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] (syn. C. pulchellus var. amabilis) [11] is a species of the genus Calochortus in the family Liliaceae. It is also known by the common names Diogenes' lantern, [2] [3] [4] [7] yellow globe-tulip, [7] golden globe-tulip, [4] yellow globe lily, [3] golden fairy lantern, [3] [4] [6] [9] [10] golden lily-bell, [7] Chinese lantern, [4] and short lily. [8]

Distribution and habitat

The plant is endemic to northern California, from the east bay (notably in Mount Diablo State Park) and north of the San Francisco Bay Area. [3] [4] [5] [12] It grows in the Northern California Coast Ranges and Klamath Mountains, from 100 metres (330 ft) [2] [4]–1,000 metres (3,300 ft) [2]–1,500 metres (4,900 ft) [4] in altitude. It is a common member of the scrub and woodland flora, found on dry slopes in California oak woodland and chaparral habitats. [2] [3] Soil types vary, from the nearly solid serpentine rock to yellow clay. [4] Natural habitat is quite wet, with 75 cm or more of rain per year, followed by a dry, hot summer. Winters are cool but not frigid (USDA zones 8-9). The growing season is from midwinter to the April–May–June flowering and seed set. The plant is dormant from mid-June to November. [4]

Common understory plant associates are Calochortus luteus, Clarkia unguiculata and Delphinium variegatum.[ citation needed]

Description

Calochortus amabilis is a bulbous perennial herb producing an upright, somewhat waxy branching stem to heights between 10 and 50 centimeters. [2] The leaf at the base of the stem is flat, waxy, and narrow in shape, reaching up to 50 centimeters long and not withering away at flowering. [2] [13]

The inflorescence bears two or more heavily nodding flowers, each with spreading pointed yellow sepals and brown-speckled yellow petals. The inside of the petals is waxy and coated in small hairs. The fruit is a winged capsule up to three centimeters long containing dark brown seeds. [2] [5]

  • Height: 10- [2] [5] 20- [3] 30- [7] 50 cm [2] [3] [5] (4–20 in) high at maturity.
  • Spread: 5 cm (2 in) spread. [5]
  • Stems: Stems are glaucous, [2] [4] [7] stout, [7] flexuous, [4] and generally branching, [2] [3] [4] [7] reaching 10- [2] [4] [6] 20-30 [7]-50 cm. [2] [4] [6]
  • Leaves: Leaves come in two types: cauline [2] [3] [7] or basal [2] [3] ( radical). [7]
  • Inflorescences: Nodding, [2] [3] [7] pendent [4] flowers are borne in groups of 2-many, [2] hanging in open branched clusters. [3] Bracts are lanceolate, and measure 2–10 cm in length. [2]
    • Flowers: Flowers measure about 2.5- [3] [4] 4 cm [4] in length and are borne from April–June. [2] [3]
    • Perianth: Perianth is spheric and is either neatly closed at the tip [2] or has petals that overlap slightly at the tip. [2] [7]
      • Sepals: Three [3] [7] conspicuous [5] ovate [2] to lanceolate, [2] [3] spreading sepals, are deeply appressed at the base to the petals. [4] Sepals are often tinged green [4] [5] or red, [4] and measure 1.5- [2] 2 cm [2] [3] long. Sepals are held horizontally to slightly descending. [4]
      • Petals: Three [3] [7] ovate [7] or widely lanceolate [2] petals with a short claw and obtuse apex [7] are deeply [2] [3] to brightly [4] yellow, sometimes tinged green [4] [5] with abaxial brown spots [2] and are glabrous, [2] [7] except for the margins, which are densely ciliate (having a fringe of hairs), [2] [3] [7] [4] Petals are slightly longer than sepals [3] and measure 1.6- [2] 2 cm long. [2] [3]
    • Nectary: Crescent-shaped [2] [5] [3] [4] to almost rectangular, [4] depressed, [2] [4] (forming a knoblike structure on the outside of each petal) [4] with several transverse, fringed membranes with white or yellow glandular hairs measuring 1/3-2/3 of the width of the petals. [2]
    • Stamens:
      • Filaments: 5mm in length, dilated at the base. [2]
      • Anthers: 3-4mm in length, white to pale yellow. [2]
  • Fruit: Nodding, oblong, winged capsule, measuring 2–3 cm in length. [2]
  • Seeds: Dark brown and irregularly shaped. [2]

Uses

Food

The bulbs of Calochortus amabilis are a traditional food of the Kashaya Pomo of California, who bake or boil the bulbs, which are then eaten like baked or boiled potatoes. [8] [14] They are a beloved food of the Pomo, locally referred to as "bo". [7]

Cultivation

Calochortus amabilis is cultivated as an ornamental plant by specialty native plant and bulb nurseries, for use in traditional and wildlife gardens, and natural landscaping projects.

  • Hardiness: Hardy, [4] [5] particularly if well mulched. In cold areas, it can be grown in an alpine house or an unheated glasshouse. [4]
  • Light : Prefers sun [6] to partial [4] [6] or full shade. [4]
  • Soil: Adaptable, but prefers well-drained soil. [6] Prefers a humus-rich, water-retentive medium with up to two thirds organic matter and one third sand, gravel, or grit. [4]
  • Water: Drought tolerant to moderate. [6] In the wild, the plant grows in areas with more than 2.5 cm of rain per week during the growing season. If grown in pots, plants should get 2.2-3.8 cm of water per week, since containers typically dry out more quickly. Complete dryness is needed for the dormant season; some growers dig the bulbs up for the summer to prevent premature autumn growth or bulb rot. [4]
  • Propagation: Sow seed as soon as ripe. [5] Seeds require no treatment to aid germination. [10]
  • Pests and diseases: Trouble free. [5]

In the wild, C. amabilis naturally hybridizes with Calochortus tolmiei. [4]

Etymology

Amabilis means 'pleasing', 'likeable', or 'lovely'. Calochortus is derived from Greek meaning 'beautiful grass', a reference to the characteristic grass-like foliage of the genus. [15] The full name translates literally to 'lovable, beautiful grass'. [3] [15]

The common name "Diogenes' Lantern" is a reference to the Greek philosopher Diogenes, who famously carried a lantern around in broad daylight, claiming he was "looking for a man" (implying that none of the beings he saw around him qualified; sometimes quoted as "looking for an honest man"). [16]

References

  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer - Calochortus amabilis". NatureServe Explorer Calochortus amabilis. NatureServe. 2022-05-30. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as Baldwin, B. G., D. H. Goldman, D. J. Keil, R. Patterson, T. J. Rosatti, and D. H. Wilken, editors. 2012. "The Jepson Manual: vascular plants of California", second edition. University of California press, Berkeley. ISBN  9780520253124 pp 1380-1381
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Spellenberg, Richard, Professor Emeritus of Biology, New Mexico State University, National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers: Western Region, copyright 2001 by Chanticleer Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Published in the US by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. ISBN  0375402330 pp 576
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am Gerritsen, Mary E. and Ron Parsons, 2007. "Calochortus : Mariposa lilies and their relatives", Timber Press. ISBN  9780881928440. pp 52-54
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Brickell, Christopher "The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z of Garden Plants (Volume 1: A-J)", 3rd ed. Copyright 1996, 2003, 2008 Dorling Kindersley Ltd., London. ISBN  9781405332965 pp 213-214
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Carol Bornstein, David Fross, Bart O'Brien 2007. "California Native Plants for the Garden". Cachuma Press. ISBN  0962850586 (paperback) ISBN  0962850594 (hardcover). pp 212
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Parsons, Mary Elizabeth "The Wild Flowers of California", illustrated by Margaret Warriner Buck. Published by Cunningham, Curtiss & Welch, San Francisco 1912. Copyright William Doxey 1897, copyright Mary Elizabeth Parsons 1902, 1906. (no ISBN for this edition) pp 148-149
  8. ^ a b c Moerman, Daniel E. "Native American Food Plants: An Ethnobotanical Dictionary", first ed. Copyright Timber Press, Inc. 2010. ISBN  9781604691894 (hardcover). pp 67
  9. ^ a b Howell, John Thomas. "Marin Flora: Manual of Flowering Plants and Ferns of Marin County, California", second edition. Copyright 1949, 1970, 1985, University of California Press. ISBN  0520056213 pp 106
  10. ^ a b c Emery, Dara E. "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants", 6th edition (printed 2011). Copyright 1988 Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. ISBN  0916436039. pp 43
  11. ^ a b The Plant List
  12. ^ Flora of North America
  13. ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2009. GlobalTwitcher.com: Gold Nuggets: Calochortus luteus Archived 2011-10-04 at the Wayback Machine, ed. N. Stromberg.
  14. ^ University of Michigan at Dearborn: Native American Ethnobotany of Calochortus amabilis
  15. ^ a b Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. ISBN  9780521866453 (hardback), ISBN  9780521685535 (paperback). pp 44, 86
  16. ^ "Northern California Wildflowers: Diogenes' Lantern Lily". Lost Coast Outpost.

External links

Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Calochortus_amabilis&oldid=1176932675"