Calochortus clavatus
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 265. 1879.
Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat, when present, membranous. Stems slender or coarse, stout, branching or not, strongly flexuous, 3–10 dm. Leaves: basal withering, 1–2 dm; blade linear. Inflorescences subumbellate, 1–6-flowered; bracts 4–8 cm, bases dilated. Flowers erect; perianth open, cup-shaped; sepals usually with red-brown blotch at base, lanceolate-ovate, 2–4 cm, apex acute; petals lemon to golden yellow, with transverse line distal to gland, broadly cuneate to obovate, 3–5 cm; glands round, deeply depressed, densely covered with short hairs with branching, coralline tips, surrounded by conspicuously fringed membrane and club-shaped hairs; filaments ca. 10 mm; anthers purplish brown, oblong, 4–10 mm. Capsules erect, lanceoloid-linear, angled, 6–9 cm, apex acuminate. Seeds light yellow, translucent, flat. 2n = 16.
Discussion
Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Petals shorter than sepals; petal glands very deeply depressed. | Calochortus clavatus var. avius |
| 1 | Petals longer than sepals; petal glands shallowly to moderately depressed. | > 2 |
| 2 | Stems straight, slender, usually 3 dm or shorter. | > 2 |
| 2 | Stems flexuous, coarse, usually 5–10 dm. | > 3 |
| 3 | Petals 3–4 cm, sparsely bearded; leaves not recurved. | Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis |
| 3 | Petals 4–5 cm, bearded; leaves strongly recurved. | Calochortus clavatus var. recurvifolius |
| 4 | Petals deep yellow, hairs very knobby; anthers deep purple. | Calochortus clavatus var. clavatus |
| 4 | Petals light yellow, hairs not very knobby; anthers yellow to medium purple. | Calochortus clavatus var. pallidus |