Search / Plant Profile / Calochortus simulans

Plant Profile

San Luis Obispo Mariposa Lily (Calochortus simulans)

Calochortus simulans in a recently burned area. Photo Credit: Heather Schneider, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Liliaceae
State: CA
Nature Serve ID: 152772
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 10/14/2019

Description:

Calochortus simulans (San Luis Obispo mariposa lily) is a perennial bulb. Stems can reach up to 60 cm tall and basal leaves wither at the flowering period. The three petals are white to yellow with basal hairs and a nectary in a dark red spot at the base of the petal.

Where is San Luis Obispo Mariposa Lily (Calochortus simulans) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Calochortus simulans grows in sandy soils in grassland, chaparral, and yellow pine forest. It occurs at elevations <1,100 meters and flowers from May through July.

Distribution:

This plant is endemic (limited) to San Luis Obispo County, California.

States & Provinces:

San Luis Obispo Mariposa Lily can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve San Luis Obispo Mariposa Lily (Calochortus simulans)?

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 10/14/19

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, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden holds 1 accessions of Calochortus simulans in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 2675 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, San Diego Zoo Global holds 1 accessions of Calochortus simulans in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 6844 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, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has collected 2 seed accessions of Calochortus simulans from 2 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 101 maternal plants

Heather Schneider

10/23/2019

In 2019, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden made conservation seed bank collections at two different populations of Calochortus simulans. One site had a prolific bloom this year, with >400 individuals observed. The other had recently burned and the lilies seemed to do well on an open slope with lupines and other fire-following native annuals and herbaceous perennials. The biggest perceived threat to these populations was invasive annual grasses, which had high cover and density at both sites. Both populations are in or near recreation areas, so trampling and collecting could also pose a risk during certain times of the year.