Search / Plant Profile / Calochortus dunnii

Plant Profile

Dunn's Mariposa Lily (Calochortus dunnii)

This shot is a closeup of the white to pink flower, showing the red spot at the base of the petal. Photo Credit: Mark Elvin

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Liliaceae
State: CA
Nature Serve ID: 144933
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 03/15/1995

Description:

This beautiful, rare, mariposa lily has upright bell-shaped flowers with white to light pink petals that have deep red spots and yellow hairs above the nectaries. When conditions are right to break summer dormancy, basal leaves sprout from the bulb in late fall and winter, followed by slender stems with groups of flowers in the spring.

Where is Dunn's Mariposa Lily (Calochortus dunnii) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This species' habitat consists of dry stony, ridges and fire breaks in chaparral and yellow pine forests. (CDFG 2002)

Distribution:

This plant is only found in the mountains of San Diego County, CA and adjacent Baja California Norte, Mexico. (CDFG 2002)

States & Provinces:

Dunn's Mariposa Lily can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Dunn's Mariposa Lily (Calochortus dunnii)?

California Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, San Diego Zoo Global holds 3 accessions of Calochortus dunnii in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 12330 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden holds 4 accessions of Calochortus dunnii in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 9778 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, San Diego Zoo Global has collected 3 seed accessions of Calochortus dunnii from 3 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 171 maternal plants

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden has collected 4 seed accessions of Calochortus dunnii from 4 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 50 maternal plants

Joe Davitt

08/23/2017

This species is a part of the San Diego Multiply Species Conservation Plan (MSCP).

Joe Davitt

08/22/2017

Further seed banking efforts would ensure that the species is genetically represented ex-situ. Research into germination cues and seed longevity would direct ex-situ collection management.

Joe Davitt

08/22/2017

In 2016 SDZG made seed collections from 3 separate populations in southern San Diego County.

Joe Davitt

08/22/2017

The CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants list 33 historic occurrences, 17 of which have little to no data on their current status. Because the bulbs are able to go dormant underground and withstand harsh conditions, it is assumed that they are extant, but this ability also makes it difficult to accurately track the population numbers.

Joe Davitt

08/22/2017

The main threats to the species are invasive grasses, destruction of habitat, and climate change. While the threat of harvesting by people is present because of the flowers' beauty, it represents a small localized threat. The species is not collected for sale or propagation and many populations are very remote and difficult to access. Invasive grasses are able to completely cover rocky hillsides, creating thick thatch and altering fire frequency. As climate change alters local climates it will be difficult for the species to migrate to suitable habitat. The species is also at risk of habitat destruction, usually for road, fire break, or utility construction. The species can lie dormant for years if conditions are not favorable (extreme drought) and could be destroyed accidentally.

01/01/2010

Current threats to this species include flower picking or bulb collecting. Possible introduction of non-native wild turkeys to the species habitat also serves as a threat (CDFG 2002).

01/01/2010

Approximately 20 occurrences of this species are known, some of which contain only a few plants. (CDFG 2002)

01/01/2010

None known.

01/01/2010

Property ownership of this species habitat includes the Bureau of Land Management, California State Parks, National Forest land, and private property. (CDFG 2002)

01/01/2010

A study to show if controlled burning and brush clearing can help this species. Studies of the basic biology and ecology of the species would aid in conservation efforts.