Taxon Report

Calochortus dunnii Purdy

Dunn's mariposa-lily

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Calochortus dunnii, commonly known as Dunn's mariposa-lily, is a perennial bulbiferous herb in the Liliaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, Closed-cone coniferous forest, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 185 to 1830 meters. Calochortus dunnii is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Calochortus dunnii Purdy
Common Name:	Dunn's mariposa-lily
Family:	Liliaceae
Element Code:	PMLIL0D0C0
USDA Plants Symbol:	CADU
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial bulbiferous herb
Blooming Period: (Feb)Apr-Jun	(Feb)Apr-Jun
Elevation:	185-1830 (605-6005)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Closed-cone coniferous forest, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:	Gabbroic (sometimes), Rocky
Microhabitat Details:	Sometimes metavolcanic

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	CR
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_CRES; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	38
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	4
Good (B)	13
Fair (C)	3
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	18

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Barrett Lake (3211666), Cuyamaca Peak (3211685), Descanso (3211675), Dulzura (3211667), Jamul Mountains (3211668), Julian (3311615), Morena Reservoir (3211665), Otay Mesa (3211658), Otay Mountain (3211657), Tecate (3211656), Tule Springs (3211686), Viejas Mountain (3211676), Warners Ranch (3311626)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	9
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	15	39 %
Non-native plant impacts	5	13%
Foot traffic/trampling	4	10%
Other	4	10%
Road/trail construction/maint.	3	7%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	2	5%
ORV activity	2	5%
Grazing	1	2%
Improper burning regime	1	2%
Development	1	2%

Notes



Threatened by development, non-native plants, and vehicles. See Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences III 2:147 (1901) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 23 February 2025].