California Brome (Bromus sitchensis var. carinatus) is a native grass that is found in every county in California. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 40 inches, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the late spring, and are wind-pollinated. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. This grass is used for control of erosion and revegetation of damaged land, as well as a highly palatable forage for livestock. In the garden it has a reputation for being short-lived but readily re-seeds. It completes well with non-native weeds, and its sod-building root system makes it useful for erosion control.

Maritime Brome (Bromus carinatus var. maritimus) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in open places, at elevations from 0-11500 feet.

Suksdorf's Brome (Bromus suksdorfii) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in slopes and meadows and , at elevations from 4000-11000 feet.

Bromus vulgaris is a species of brome grass known by the common name Columbia brome. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Wyoming, where it grows in many types of habitat, including temperate coniferous forest. It is a perennial grass which may reach 1.1 meters in height. The flower cluster is an open array of spikelets, the lower ones drooping or nodding. The spikelets are flattened and have awns each up to a centimeter long at the tips of the fruits. This grass is considered a good forage for livestock and wild grazing animals.

Buddleja utahensis is a species of Buddleja endemic to the southwestern United States (northwest Arizona, eastern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah), where it is known by the common names Utah butterfly bush and Panamint butterfly bush. Named and described by Coville in 1892, the shrub favours limestone outcrops at elevations of 700-2000 m, where it is often found in association with Joshua trees. B. utahensis is a compact, dwarf dioecious shrub reaching 0. 3-1. 0 m in height. The bark is rimose and greyish, while the plant structure is characterized by persistent naked twigs. The younger branches are terete, bearing subsessile linear to oblong leaves 1. 5-3. 5 cm long by 0. 3-0. 5 cm wide, rounded at the apex and attenuate at the base. Both surfaces of the leaves are densely short tomentose, bestowing a silver-grey appearance. The inflorescences are 4-12 cm long, with 3-7 pairs of heads forming verticels, subtended by leafy bracts. The verticels are 0. 5-1. 13 cm in diameter, each comprising 15-30 pale yellow flowers, the corollas 4-5 mm long. Capsules are up to 2. 5 mm long, with numerous globose seeds up to 0. 4 mm in diam. B. utahensis is very rare in cultivation; it is a difficult plant to raise in temperate regions, demanding very free draining soil and infrequent watering. Hardiness: USDA zone 8.

Elephant tree is a drought-adapted species in the Torchwood family, native to desert regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. In the U.S., it is found in Southern California and Arizona, while in Mexico it grows in Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Zacatecas. The Anza-Borrego Desert in San Diego County marks the northern limit of its range in California. It is the only member of its family native to the U.S., though related species are more common in Mexico.

Although typically a small tree, the elephant tree can grow as a sprawling, shrub-like plant in harsher conditions, often reaching just three feet in height. It has light gray to white bark that peels off in thin, papery layers. Younger branches may appear reddish. The trunk is noticeably swollen, an adaptation that allows the tree to store water for long periods of drought. The leaves are small and light-colored, and the tree readily sheds them in response to dry conditions to conserve moisture.

Elephant tree produces rounded yellow buds that open into small, star-shaped flowers in white or cream hues. Its fruit is a yellow stone containing a single seed, which is dispersed by wildlife. The tree is well adapted to survive in extreme desert environments, thriving in rocky soils and withstanding prolonged dry spells.

The Cahuilla People of Southern California value the Elephant Tree for its red sap, which they used as a general remedy for various ailments. Its unique appearance, ecological role in desert habitats, and cultural significance make it an important plant in the arid landscapes it inhabits.

Calamagrostis bolanderi is a species of grass known by the common name Bolander's reedgrass. It is endemic to northern California, where it grows in moist coastal habitat such as temperate coniferous forest, wet meadows and bogs, and coastal scrub. This is a perennial grass growing to heights between 0.5 and 1.5 meters, each erect stem generally with four nodes. It has flat leaves and open, spreading flower clusters of very small spikelets. Each spikelet is made up of one floret surrounded by a v-shaped pair of smooth leafs.

Calamagrostis breweri is a species of grass known by the common name shorthair reedgrass. It is native to the mountains of northern California and Oregon, where it grows in forests and meadows in subalpine and alpine climates. This is a perennial grass without rhizomes which forms tufts and bunches up to about 50 centimeters in maximum height, but generally shorter. The small, sparse leaves are mainly located at the base of the stems. The inflorescence is small and scattered, with spikelets about half a centimeter long.

Calamagrostis canadensis is a species of grass known by the common names bluejoint and Canadian reedgrass. It is native to most of northern North America, including most all of Canada and all of the continental United States except for the South. It can be found in many types of habitat, including forest, taiga, and tundra in subarctic regions. It is the most common and widespread Calamagrostis species on the continent. It is a perennial grass with a branching stem reaching heights between 60 centimeters and 1.5 meters. The flat, drooping leaves are rough with tiny hairs. The flower cluster is up to 25 centimeters long and may be open and loose or narrow and densely packed with spikelets. Each spikelet is about half a centimeter long and purplish in color. It is a palatable food plant for livestock and wild grazing animals. It is a tough rhizomatous grass that provides soil stability in wet areas and is one of the first plants to reestablish on sites of recent oil spills. It can be a nuisance on sites of forest revegetation because it can outcompete conifer seedlings.

Calamagrostis canadensis is a species of grass, having three or more varieties, in the Poaceae family. It is known variously by the common names of bluejoint, bluejoint reedgrass, marsh reedgrass, Canadian reedgrass, meadow pinegrass, and marsh pinegrass. The varieties often overlap in where they are distributed. In the U. S. . Most states in the U. S. have one or more varieties of C. canadensis, the most common by distribution being C. c. var. canadensis. Only Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont have all three; and only one, Kentucky, has C. c. var. macouniana with no others. 15 states have only C. c. var. canadensis, without others (Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming); and no state has C. c. var. langsdorffii without sharing territory with C. c. var. canadensis. 14 states have both C. c. var. canadensis and C. c. var. macouniana, without C. c. var. langsdorffii (Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wisconsin); and only seven have both C. c. var. canadensis and C. c. var. langsdorffii, and no C. c. var. macouniana (Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Montana, Oregon, and Washington)In Canada and elsewhere.

Calamagrostis canadensis is a species of grass, having three or more varieties, in the Poaceae family. It is known variously by the common names of bluejoint, bluejoint reedgrass, marsh reedgrass, Canadian reedgrass, meadow pinegrass, and marsh pinegrass. The varieties often overlap in where they are distributed. In the U. S. . Most states in the U. S. have one or more varieties of C. canadensis, the most common by distribution being C. c. var. canadensis. It is a perennial grass with a branching stem reaching heights between 60 centimeters and 1. 5 meters. The flat, drooping leaves are rough with tiny hairs.

Calamagrostis foliosa is a species in the Poaceae (Grass) family known by the common name Leafy Reedgrass. It is somewhat rare and endemic to northern California, from Mendocino County northward, where it grows in the forests and scrub on the coastline below 3,500 ft. Due to its limited distribution it is included on CNPS list 4.2. This perennial bunchgrass produces a tuft of stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall. The leaves are mostly located about the base of the stems. The flower cluster is a dense, narrow sheaf of spikelets up to 12 centimeters long. The fruit of each spikelet is tipped with a bent awn. Other species in this genus may look very similar, but they generally occur in distinct habitats. For example, the more common species C. canadensis is found in the Sierras. Despite its rarity in the wild, it is available from nurseries and is a useful ornamental grass, especially for north coast gardens.

Calamagrostis koelerioides, fire reedgrass, is a bunch grass species in the Poaceae family. It is native to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, with a distribution extending east to Wyoming and south to California, where it can be found in many habitat types.

Calamagrostis nutkaensis is a species of grass known by the common names Pacific Reedgrass and Nootka Reedgrass. It is native to western North America from Alaska to San Luis Obispo County, where it is mainly a coastal species growing in moist areas such as beaches, dunes, coastal woodlands and wetlands. This is a perennial grass forming thick tufts of stems which may exceed a meter in height. There are several flat grass leaves up to a centimeter wide. The flower cluster is usually narrow and thin. This is a popular ornamental grass for the north coast.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for use in the garden. Introduced by Roger Raiche of the UC Botanic Garden.

Calamagrostis ophitidis is a species of grass known by the common name serpentine reedgrass. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the serpentine soils of the mountain slopes north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a perennial grass forming clumps reaching heights between 60 centimeters and one meter. The flower cluster is a dense, thinly bushy array of rough, pale-colored spikelets.

Calamagrostis purpurascens, variously known by the common names purple reedgrass, purple pinegrass, or alpine reedgrass is a perennial grass, growing 30 to 70 centimetres (28 in) tall. Calamagrostis purpurascens is native from arctic Greenland, to much of Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Yukon Territory) and the western and northern U. S. (Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming). It is rare and scattered in the southern U. S. states, such as Louisiana, where it is a post-glacial relict. Further south, C. purpurascens is also known in Chile, where it was recorded by Rodolfo Amando Philippi in 1860. Philippi gave it the name Deyeuxia robusta, now relegated to synonymy. It is also found in Asia (in eastern Siberia). Habitat. C. purpurascens grows in dry mountainous zones, from high up on the foothills to close to the snow-line, often taking root in gaps in the talus, where few other plants can grow. Ecology. Carterocephalus palaemon (arctic skipper) butterflies eat the nectar from C. purpurascens flowers, and their caterpillars feed on the shoots. Ovis canadensis (bighorn sheep) are known to graze this grass.

Calamagrostis rubescens is a species of grass known by the common name pinegrass. It is native to western North America, including Canada from British Columbia to Manitoba and the United States from California to Colorado. It can be found in several types of habitat, including forest and woodlands. It is a perennial grass growing erect to heights between 60 centimeters and one meter. The flower cluster is a dense bunch or open array of spikelets. Each spikelet is about half a centimeter long and has a bent or twisted awn about the same length.

Calamagrostis stricta (syn. C. neglecta), known as slim-stem small reed grass or narrow small-reed, is a species of bunchgrass in the family Poaceae which is native to wetlands of the Holarctic Kingdom. Calamagrostis stricta is found throughout Eurasia (including Siberia) and into Mongolia and China. It is also common in Canada and the United States to which it was possibly introduced.

Narrow Spiked Reedgrass (Calamagrostis stricta ssp. inexpansa) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 3 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are purple and bloom in the late spring. Leaves are dark green and deciduous. It tends to grow in slopes, at elevations from 4500-11000 feet.

Calibrachoa parviflora is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family known by the common name seaside petunia. It is native to much of southeastern South America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States, and it is present as an introduced species in other sections of the Americas, such as the southeastern United States, as well as in Australia, where it is an occasional weed in New South Wales. This herb produces slender, branching stems which creep along the ground and root at nodes. The upright branches are leafy, with fleshy, glandular, oblong or widely lance-shaped leaves. The herbage may be sticky in texture. Flowers occur in the leaf axils along the stems. Each is under a centimeter wide, its funnel- or bell-shaped corolla five-lobed and purple in color, with a paler tubular throat. The fruit is a capsule just a few millimeters wide.

Fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla) is a low, spreading shrub with dense clusters of pink  flowers, which appear between late winter and late spring. It looks like a pink mist when in full bloom. Seed pods follow. This plant makes a good accent in drought-tolerant plantings. It grows 1 to3 feet tall and 3 feet wide with a slow to moderate growth rate.

Although it is a desert plant, its water requirements are higher than most. It is typically found where there is some subsurface water year-round. This species should not be confused with Baja Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica), a Baja endemic with deep red flowers, which is more commonly available in the horticultural trade.

Fairy duster likes good drainage and full sun. It will prefer afternoon shade in hotter inland areas. It will keep its leaves and look better in summer with occasional deep watering, about 3 times per month. However it does not need summer water once established.  It prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil.

California Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) is a species of conifer native to western North America, with the bulk of the range in the United States, from central western Oregon through most of California and the extreme west of Nevada, and also a short distance into northwest Mexico in northern Baja California. It grows at altitudes of 160 to 9500 feet.

It is the most widely-known cedar species and is often simply called Incense Cedar without a regional qualifier. It is a large tree, with a trunk diameter up to 10 feet, and with a broad conic crown of spreading branches.

The bark is orange-brown weathering grayish, smooth at first, becoming fissured and peeling in long strips on the lower trunk on old trees. The foliage is produced in flattened sprays with short, scale-like leaves. The leaves are bright green on both sides of the shoots.

Easy to grow in the garden but requires plenty of room. If given deep, infrequent watering when young, it will develop drought tolerance. 

Calochortus albus is a species in the genus Calochortus in the family Liliaceae. It is also known by the common names fairy lantern, white fairy lantern, pink fairy lantern, lantern of the fairies, globe lily, white globe lily, white globe-tulip, alabaster tulip, Indian bells, satin bells, snowy lily-bell, and snow drops. Widespread, variable species, blooming in winter and spring and going dormant after anthesis (flowering period) until the start of the autumn rains. Height: 20-30-60-80 cm high at maturity. Stems: Stems are erect, to arching, slender, glaucous, and simple to branching, reaching 7. 5- 20- 70- 80 cm. Leaves: Leaves come in two types: cauline or basal (radical). One long basal leaf is present during blooming, along with several cauline leaves, and foliaceous bracts below the flowers. Basal/radical leaves: Basal leaves measure 20-30-50-70 cm in length, 1-5 cm in width, and are lax, shiny, and persistent. Cauline leaves: 2-6 laceolate to linear leaves, measuring 5-15-25 cm in length. Inflorescences: Flowers are borne in groups of 1- 2- many. Bracts are generally paired, lanceolate, and measure 1-5 cm in length. Flowers: Delicate, pendent, nodding, 2-3 cm closed orbs of pearly white, to pink, to deep pink, to almost wine-red, occasionally greenish. Flowers from late March- April-June- early July. Though the flowers of C. albus may occasionally be flushed pink, those which are deep rose in colour and are found from the southwest San Francisco Bay to outer south coast ranges may be assignable to C. albus var. rubellus, if recognized taxonomically. Perianth is oblong and is typically closed at the tip. Sepals: Three ovate to lanceolate sepals measuring 1-1. 5 cm long, appressed to the petals, rarely recurved. Sepals may be white, green, greenish-white, or rosy red, and are shorter than the petals. Petals: Three elliptic or wider petals, with the insides being sparsely ciliate (having a fringe of hairs), with yellowish, slender hairs above the nectary or along the gland. Satiny petals measure 2-2. 5 cm long, overlap slightly, are closed at the tip, and may have a green, copper, pink, lavender, or purple tinge on the outside of the flower, typically near the base of the petals and around the protruding glandular area. Nectary: Crescent-shaped, shallowly to deeply depressed, with several transverse, fringed membranes with white or yellow glandular hairs measuring 1/3-2/3 of the width of the petals. Stamens: Short, olbong, abruptly tipped, white to light pink stamens measuring 4 mm in length. Filaments: 4 - 5 mm in length, dilated at the base. Anthers: White to cream, oblong and obtuse, measuring 4 mm in length. Widespread in shady to open woods and scrub, partially shaded grasslands, exposed coastal bluffs, and is often found in rocky places. May be found in many plant communities below 5,000 ft or 2,000m, including foothill woodlands, yellow pine forests, and chaparral.

Pink Fairy Lantern (Calochortus albus var. rubellus) is a native perennial herb that grows in southern and central California.

Calochortus amabilis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by the common name Diogenes' lantern. It is endemic to northern California, where it grows in the mountains north of the San Francisco Bay Area. In oak woodlands common understory plant associates are Calochortus luteus, Clarkia unguiculata and Delphinium variegatum. It is a common member of the scrub and woodland flora there. This is a perennial herb producing an upright, somewhat waxy branching stem to heights between 10 and 50 centimeters. The leaf at the base of the stem is flat, waxy, and narrow in shape, reaching up to 50 centimeters long and not withering away at flowering. The flower cluster bears two or more heavily nodding flowers, each with spreading pointed yellow sepals and brown-speckled yellow petals. The inside of the petals is waxy and coated in small hairs. The fruit is a winged capsule up to three centimeters long containing dark brown seeds.

Calochortus amoenus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is commonly known as purple fairy-lantern. It is endemic to the slopes of the Sierra Nevada foothills of central California. This is a perennial herb producing a branching stem to heights between 20 and 50 centimeters. The leaf at the base of the stem is narrow in shape, reaching up to 50 centimeters long and not withering away at flowering. There are two or three smaller leaves along the stem. The flower cluster bears two or more nodding flowers, each with its petals curved closed into a spherical shape. Each flower has rose-colored sepals and petals, the petals fringed and lined with long, pink whiskery hairs. The fruit is a winged capsule 2 or 3 centimeters long containing dark brown seeds.

Calochortus argillosus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by the common name clay mariposa lily. It is endemic to coastal central California, where it grows in hard clay soils in the local mountains. This is a perennial herb producing an unbranching stem to heights between 40 and 60 centimeters. The leaf at the base of the stem is narrow in shape, reaching up to 30 centimeters long withering away at flowering. The flower cluster bears 1 to 4 erect bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three sepals and three petals up to 4 centimeters long. The petals are rounded in shape and white to pink in base color with a central spot or streaking of red, purple, and yellow. The fruit is a narrow capsule up to 6 centimeters long.

Calochortus catalinae is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name Santa Catalina mariposa lily. It is endemic to Southern California where it is found along the coastline, and especially on the Channel Islands. This plant produces long basal leaves and tall, branching stems up to 60 centimeters high. The purple-tinted sepals are up to 3 centimeters long and the longer petals are usually white or very pale pink with a blotch of purple or deep red at the bases. The bowl of the petals may have sparse long hairs. The anthers are usually light in color, often pink.

Calochortus clavatus is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name clubhair mariposa lily. It is endemic to California where it is found in forests and on chaparral slopes. This lily produces tall stems up to a meter in height and only basal leaves. Atop the stem is a lily bloom with sepals up to 4 centimeters long. The petals are up to 5 centimeters long and yellow with a darker line or series of bands near the base, which are often red. The cup of the flower is filled with hairs which have clubbed ends. The anthers are often deep purple. The capsule fruit is up to 9 centimeters long.

Club Haired Mariposa Lily (Calochortus clavatus var. clavatus) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in Southern and Central California, primarily in the South Coast Range and South Coast regions.

Slender Mariposa Lily (Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in Southern California, primarily in the Transverse Range region. It tends to grow in rocky slopes and open areas, at elevations from 0-5900 feet.

Pale Yellow Mariposa (Calochortus clavatus var. pallidus) is a native perennial herb that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-5900 feet.

Calochortus coeruleus, often misspelled as Calochortus caeruleus, is a bulbous plant of the lily family. It is known by the common name beavertail grass or blue star tulip. The plant is endemic to California. It is found only in the North California Coast Ranges, Southern Cascade Range, and Northern Sierra Nevada. Calochortus coeruleus is a distinctive plant bearing flowers with light blue spade-shaped petals covered in brushlike hairs. Taxonomy. The botanical name Calochortus caeruleus is not accepted, being an orthographic variant (misspelling) of Calochortus coeruleus. Watson in coining the name in 1875 spelled it "caeruleus" but he also cited Kellogg's 1863 name Cyclobothra coerulea as basionym.

Calochortus concolor is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name goldenbowl Mariposa lily. It is native to the mountains of southern California and northern Baja California, where it grows in the chaparral and forests of the slopes. It is a perennial herb growing an erect stem 30 to 60 centimeters tall. The waxy basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and withers at flowering. The flower cluster bears 1 to 7 erect bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three sepals and three yellow petals with reddish areas near the bases. The fruit is a narrow, angled capsule up to 8 centimeters long.

Calochortus dunnii is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Dunn's Mariposa lily. It is native to Baja California and San Diego County in California, where it is known from only a few occurrences in the chaparral and forests of the local mountain ranges. It is a perennial herb growing a slender, branching stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The waxy, channeled basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and withers at flowering. The flower cluster bears 2 to 6 erect bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three sepals and three white or pinkish petals. The petals are up to 3 centimeters long and spotted with red and yellow near the bases, where there are patches of yellow hairs. The fruit is a narrow, angled capsule 2 to 3 centimeters long. The main threat to the existence of this rare species is collecting by admirers of the attractive flowers.

Calochortus fimbriatus is a California species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Late-blooming mariposa lily. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of southern Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and northern Ventura counties, where it is a member of the chaparral flora. Calochortus fimbriatus is a bulb-forming perennial herb producing a slender, branching stem 30 to 110 centimeters tall. There is a basal leaf up to 40 centimeters long which appears in January and withers long before the plant blooms in late June or early July. The bloom continues until mid-August. The inflorescence consists of 2 to 6 erect, bowl-shaped flowers. Each flower has three narrow sepals and three wider petals. The petals are usually tan or cream colored on the outside and yellowish on the inside with variable number of flecks of dark purple, and a coating of hairs on the inner surface and top rim. The fruit is a three-angled capsule. Calochortus fimbriatus blooms more vigorously the year after a wildfire.

Calochortus invenustus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name plain mariposa lily. It is native to the mountain ranges of California, where it grows in the coniferous forests. Its range may extend just into Nevada. It is a perennial herb which produces a slender, mostly unbranched stem up to 50 centimeters tall. There is a basal leaf 10 to 20 centimeters long which withers at flowering. The flower cluster bears 1 to 6 erect bell-shaped flowers in a loose cluster. Each flower has three sepals and three petals which are usually white to light purple and may have spotting low at the base and greenish streaking on the outer surfaces. The fruit is an angled capsule up to 7 centimeters long.

Calochortus kennedyi is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name desert mariposa lily. It is native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is a perennial herb which produces a slender, unbranching, sometimes twisting stem up to 50 centimeters tall, but generally shorter. There is a basal leaf 10 to 20 centimeters long which is waxy in texture and withers at flowering. The flower cluster bears 1 to 6 erect bell-shaped flowers in a loose cluster. Each flower has three sepals and three petals which are usually spotted at the bases. The petals may be 5 centimeters long and are yellow, orange, or red in color. The fruit is an angled, striped capsule up to 6 centimeters in length.

Calochortus luteus, or Yellow mariposa lily is a species of the Liliaceae endemic to California. This species is found on coastal prairie, grasslands and some open forest floors primarily in the central Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills. Like other Mariposa Lilies it grows from a bulb, with most of its growth occurring in winter, followed by spring flowering and summer dormancy. It requires good drainage and must be kept mostly dry in summer. The leaves arising directly from the bulbare strap-like and long. The flower is 3-5 centimeter across and primarily bright yellow, with sparse hair inside and often red-brown streaks or blotches. It is reported to be one of the easiest Mariposa Lilies to grow in the garden.

Calochortus obispoensis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name San Luis mariposa lily. It is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it grows in the chaparral of the coastal mountains, generally on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb producing a slender, branched stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 20 to 30 centimeters in length and withers at flowering. There may be smaller leaves located along the stem. The flower cluster bears 2 to 6 erect flowers. Each spreading flower has three reflexed sepals up to 3 centimeters long and three flat petals each up to 2 centimeters long. The petals are yellow or orange in color with darker tips and fringed and coated in long, dark purple or red hairs. The fruit is an angled capsule up to 4 centimeters long which contains translucent yellow seeds.

Calochortus palmeri is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Palmer's mariposa lily. It is endemic to California, where it is distributed mostly throughout the coastal mountain ranges from the Los Angeles area to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a perennial herb producing a straight, branching stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and withers by flowering. The flower cluster bears 1 to 6 erect, open bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three brown-speckled sepals 3 centimeters long and three wider petals each 2 or 3 centimeters long. The petals are white to light lavender and have bases with yellow or purple hairs, or lacking hairs, depending on variety. There are two varieties of this species, the rarer of the two, Munz's mariposa lily (var. munzii), being known only from Riverside County.

Palmer's Mariposa Lily (Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow in meadows and vernally moist places, at elevations from 3900-7200 feet.

Calochortus plummerae is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name Plummer's mariposa lily. It is endemic to Southern California where it is found along the coast and inland hills. It is a member of the chaparral plant community. It produces thin, branching stems and a few long curling leaves. Atop the stem is a lily bloom with long, pointed sepals and petals which may be up to 4 centimeters long. The petals are pink, lavender, or white with a wide yellow band across the middle. They are hairy inside and sometimes fringed with hairs. The center contains large whitish or yellowish anthers. The fruit capsule is up to 8 centimeters long.

Calochortus pulchellus is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Mt. Diablo fairy-lantern. It is endemic to California, where it is mainly restricted to Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County. There are historical occurrences in surrounding counties. It grows in chaparral and woodland of the bayside slopes. This is a perennial herb growing a branching stem up to about 30 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is up to 40 centimeters long and does not wither at flowering; there are 2 or 3 smaller leaves farther up the stem. The flower cluster is a solitary flower or a cluster of several flowers, which are nodding and usually spherical with all their petal tips touching. The three sepals and three petals are 2 or 3 centimeters long and pale to deep yellow. The petals are thinly hairy inside and often fringed with yellow hairs. The fruit is a winged capsule 2 or 3 centimeters in length. 

Calochortus raichei is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Cedars fairy-lantern, or Cedars mariposa lily. It is endemic to Sonoma County, California, where it is known only from The Cedars, an unincorporated area outside Guerneville north of Cazadero, just west of Austin Creek State Recreation Area. The species is named for botanist Roger Raiche, who first identified it as a distinct species in 1987. It is limited to the serpentine soil on the banks of the Big Austin Creek in this isolated area. Calochortus raichei is a perennial herb producing a stem which can be quite tall for a mariposa lily, reaching a meter in height. The basal leaf is up to 40 centimeters long and does not wither at flowering; there may be smaller leaves farther up the stem. The herbage of the plant is generally very waxy in texture. The inflorescence bears one or two nodding flowers, spherical in shape with their petal tips touching. The three sepals are about 2 centimeters long and dull red to greenish, and the three petals about 4 centimeters in length and yellow, often with darker tinting. The petals are coated inside and fringed with hairs. The fruit is an angled capsule around 3 centimeters long containing several brown seeds.

Calochortus simulans is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name San Luis Obispo mariposa lily, not to be confused with the San Luis mariposa lily C. obispoensis. It is native to San Luis Obispo County, California, and its range extends south into Santa Barbara County. It is a perennial herb producing a branching stem up to 60 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is 10 to 20 centimeters long and withers by flowering. The flower cluster is a loose cluster of 1 to 3 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three curving sepals and three longer petals, each up to 5 centimeters long. The petals are white to yellow with a deep red spot at the base. The fruit is an angled capsule 5 or 6 centimeters in length.

Calochortus splendens is a species Liliaceae (Lily) family known by the common name Splendid Mariposa Lily. It is native to California and Baja California where it is found primarily near the coast, in foothills and valleys and on the west slope of the mountains. Growing from a bulb, it is usually found coming up among dense, low shrubs, herbs or grasses. It is a thin-stemmed lily with few leaves and bearing flowers singly or in flower clusters of up to four. Each flower is ringed with smaller, ribbonlike, curling leaves. The bowl-shaped flowers are of varying shades of blue, pink, purple, or lavender, with a spot of darker purple at the base of each petal. The flower may have numerous white hairs in the center and bright purple pollen. In the wild it blooms profusely following fire and then may not bloom again for years. In the garden do not expect it to bloom every year as flowering requires considerable expenditure of stored energy from the bulb.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Calochortus superbus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name superb mariposa lily. It is endemic to California, where it is a common member of the flora in several types of habitat statewide. It is a perennial herb growing up to 40 to 60 centimeters tall with a basal leaf up to 30 centimeters long which withers by flowering. The flower cluster is a loose cluster of 1 to 3 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three sepals and three petals all up to 4 centimeters long and blotched with yellow at the bases. There is generally a darker spot within the yellow area, and the base color of the segments may be white to light purple or solid yellow. The fruit is an angled capsule 5 or 6 centimeters long. This plant resembles Calochortus luteus, a chief discriminant being the oval to crescent shaped nectary of C. luteus compared to the squarish nectary of C. superbus.

Calochortus tiburonensis (also known as the Tiburon Mariposa Lily) is a rare member of the genus Calochortus in the family Liliaceae. It was first brought to the attention of science in 1971, and written up in the botanical literature in 1973. Calochortus tiburonensis is endemic to a single serpentine outcrop in California's Marin County. It grows on serpentine-derived soil atop this outcrop in grasslands from 0-200 meter. on Ring Mountain. It is considered threatened due to loss of surrounding habitat to recreational activities, to competition from invasive species, to its proximity to a dense population center, and to its confinement to a single population of plants. The population grows on land owned by the Marin County Open Space District. Calochortus tiburonensis is a perennial growing from a bulb to 10-60 centimeter in height with a single leaf. It produces anywhere from 2 to 7 erect flowers annually on a branching stem. The ciliate, light yellow-green petals are streaked with purplish-brown. When mature, ovaries form capsules full of small, dark brown seeds.

Calochortus tolmiei is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names Tolmie star-tulip and pussy ears. It is native to the west coast of the United States from Washington to California, where it is a common member of the flora in several types of habitat. It is a perennial herb producing a slender stem, branched or unbranched, to 40 centimeters in maximum height. There is a basal leaf up to 40 centimeters long which does not wither at flowering, and generally a smaller leaf farther up the stem. The flower cluster is a solitary bloom or a cluster of bell-shaped flowers. Each has white to pale pink or purple petals, each up to 2.5 centimeters long, and three narrower sepals beneath. The petals are usually very hairy on their inner surfaces, and may be fringed with long hairs as well. The fruit is a winged capsule 2 or 3 centimeters long containing several dark brown seeds.

Calochortus umbellatus is a flowering plant in the family Liliaceae endemic to California in the USA The common name for this species is Oakland Mariposa lily or Oakland star-tulip. The species is a California endemic of limited distribution. This species is included on the California Native Plant Society list 4.2 of rare and endangered plants.

Calochortus uniflorus is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common names Monterey mariposa lily and large-flowered star-tulip. It is native to California and Oregon, where it grows in moist areas, such as meadows, in coastal hills and lower-elevation mountains. It is a perennial herb producing a short, unbranching stem generally less than 5 centimeters tall. The basal leaf is up to 40 centimeters long and does not wither by flowering; there may be one or more shorter leaves farther up the stem. The flower cluster is a loose cluster of 1 to 5 erect, bell-shaped flowers. Each flower has three petals up to about 3 centimeters long and three shorter sepals beneath. The petals are white to pink in color and may have purple spotting near the bases. The fruit is a capsule up to 2.5 centimeters long.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.