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June 28, 2005 : Calochortus macrocarpus
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Keywords: Liliaceae | Calochortus macrocarpus Dougl. | Lac Du Bois Grasslands Provincial Park
Dotted here and there amongst the sagebrush along the south side of Lac Du Bois Grasslands Provincial Park is this beauty: Calochortus macrocarpus, or sagebrush mariposa lily. In the book Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia, the authors point out that “mariposa” means butterfly in Spanish. You can likely see the resemblance.
Unfortunately, the authors also point out that Calochortus macrocarpus is a tasty plant for cattle, one of the reasons it is now quite uncommon. To whit:
“Sagebrush mariposa lily is highly palatable to livestock and it will disappear from highly grazed areas. This species was once widespread, but it is now considerably less common and harvesting the flowers or bulbs is discouraged because it destroys the entire plant.”
Miller, Allen and Antos, in the Canadian Journal of Botany 82(12): 1790-1799 (2004), observed that individual plants of Calochortus macrocarpus can remain dormant (i.e., not emerging above ground during a a growing season) for a period of one to four years (source / abstract: Dormancy and flowering in two mariposa lilies (Calochortus) with contrasting distribution patterns.). This seems to be a strategy by the plant to avoid unfavourable environmental conditions in a particular year, allowing it to instead grow within an environmental regime that is more favourable to eventual reproduction.
In Botany Photo of the Day news, “The Golden Swamp”, a weblog that showcases open content for learning, featured this site on June 21.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at June 28, 2005 1:38 AM
Comments
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Posted by: Gabriel at June 28, 2005 3:40 AM
hi,again. down here in DM mariposa is a very familiar palabra(word)yo se poquito de espanol de mexico. gracias!
Posted by: pam- del mar,CA at June 28, 2005 6:59 AM
I love the pics! Nice color...
Posted by: Kelle at June 28, 2005 10:12 AM
Thanks for the compliments all.
Gabriel: I humbly suggest that the form and structure of this flower that we see today is the byproduct of millions of years of evolution, a process of continual change that is still in action today. Our observation that it is “beautiful” is at least in part a learned response to the different, the rare and the unusual.
All that being said, I think that whatever or whoever we choose to ascribe the mystery of how this flower came to be, whether it be evolution, or God, or Allah, or Modimo, those of us who enjoy it for its form and structure can revel in it.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at June 28, 2005 11:32 AM
One of the highlights of my annual spring "botanizing hikes" is the sight of one (or all in a rainy year) of our 3 local Calochortus species that grow in the mountains next to the Mojave Desert. They are just drop-dead gorgeous. Your Calochortus, though, beats our species for color and delicacy. What a treat for the eyes. Thanks for the gorgeous photos.
Sandy - Tehachapi, CA
Posted by: Sandy at June 29, 2005 11:47 PM
just found a field of these lovlies and found it a most transformative experience. I don't know if a god was involved, but the precious, fragile colour and petal form in marked contrast to the sturdy resiliency they showed by growing in the semi-desert, surrounded by sagebrush and cacti, certainly gave me the feeling something supernatural was at work. Vancouver BC Canada
Posted by: angelique wood at July 4, 2005 10:35 PM
This is most definitely , one if the most beautiful flowers I have seen, even if only in pictures. Will they, by any chance, survive in the southeastern part of the US? Does anyone know?
Posted by: Julie at March 16, 2006 8:51 AM
Hi Julie - I have my doubts. I'm not a horticulturist, but from its ecological requirements, it seems the southeastern US would not meet its needs. Might be a question to ask on the garden's discussion forums to see if someone's had any experience with it.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin at April 10, 2006 3:07 PM
The Mariposa lily is truly an amazing plant, so beautiful, but also so well adapted to drought and uncertain rainfall. This flower, along with Brodia, grows in VAST abundance over such an insanely huge range - it is beyond silly to call it "endangered" in any way. In drought years it certainly does disappear, but when the rains come back, so does the Mariposa, with a vengeance! On my family's property in Northeastern Oregon, most plants had 6 blooms, some had 12-13, and there were 20+ plants per square yard! The year before there were much less, of course, but still plenty.
Do you know that when the Mormons first came to the Salt Lake area, they were starving and the local indians showed them to eat Calochortus nuttallii (Sego lily) and thus saved the lives of many early pioneers? The entire plant is edible, blooms, seed buds, stem, leaf and bulb.
Posted by: Dave Stephens at January 30, 2008 4:18 AM
Thanks for the photo Daniel.
I saw this plant last weekend up in Skihist park (close to Lytton BC).
Laura (the one that knew the late Vivian, I miss her!)
Posted by: Laura at July 8, 2008 3:41 PM
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How refreshingly unique. What a stunning piece of God's handiwork.