Calochortus identification

Max Withers maxwithers@gmail.com
Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:35:20 PDT
I just came across the following words of wisdom on Calochortus ID:

Another peculiar Calochortus I observed high in the mountains, near
Anderson Valley, Mendocino County. It was C. luteus var. oculatus, but
very large-flowered. The gland, instead of being simply lunate, was
doubly so, as if two glands were side by side on the base of each
segment and connected. When the glands of Calochortus take such freaks
it is hard to say on what the species are to be based. In this case
there were hundreds of specimens with doubly lunate glands, with
intermediate ones down to the ordinary form.

Carl Purdy, "Notes on Liliaceae," Zoe 1 (1890): 243
http://biodiversitylibrary.org/item/14448/…

C. luteus var. oculatus S. Watson is a synonym for C. vestae (Purdy) Wallace.

Max Withers
Oakland CA


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