Taxon Report

Calochortus palmeri Wats. var. palmeri

Palmer's mariposa-lily

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri, commonly known as Palmer's mariposa-lily, is a perennial bulbiferous herb in the Liliaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, and Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 710 to 2390 meters. Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Calochortus palmeri Wats. var. palmeri
Common Name:
 Palmer's mariposa-lily
Family: Liliaceae
Element Code: PMLIL0D122
USDA Plants Symbol: CAPAP4
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: perennial bulbiferous herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul Apr-Jul
Elevation: 710-2390 (2330-7840)
General Habitats: Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat: Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2
Global Rank: G3T2
State Rank:
 S2
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_SBBG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 111
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 12
   Good (B) 16
   Fair (C) 12
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 71

Location
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Kern (KRN), Los Angeles (LAX), Riverside (RIV), San Bernardino (SBD), San Luis Obispo (SLO), Santa Barbara (SBA), Ventura (VEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Acton (3411842), Alamo Mountain (3411868), Arvin (3511827), Beaumont (3311688), Big Bear City (3411637), Big Bear Lake (3411628), Breckenridge Mtn. (3511845), Butler Peak (3411731), Butterfly Peak (3311655), Cajon (3411734), Caldwell Mesa (3512023), Carpinteria (3411945), Catclaw Flat (3411616), Chilao Flat (3411831), Claraville (3511843), Condor Peak (3411832), Cuddy Valley (3411971), Fawnskin (3411638), Figueroa Mtn. (3411968), Frazier Mtn. (3411878), Green Valley (3411854), Harrison Mtn. (3411722), Hurricane Deck (3411977), Juniper Hills (3411748), Keller Peak (3411721), Kernville (3511874), La Liebre Ranch (3411876), La Panza (3512032), Lake Arrowhead (3411732), Lake Isabella North (3511864), Lake Isabella South (3511854), Lebec (3411877), Lion Canyon (3411952), Los Machos Hills (3512022), Mint Canyon (3411844), Morongo Valley (3411615), Newhall (3411845), Onyx Peak (3411626), Piute Peak (3511844), Pozo Summit (3512033), Rimrock (3411625), San Bernardino North (3411723), San Rafael Mtn. (3411967), Silverwood Lake (3411733), Sleepy Valley (3411853), Tehachapi NE (3511823), Tehachapi North (3511824), Tehachapi South (3511814), Topatopa Mountains (3411951), Toro Peak (3311654), Valyermo (3411747), Wheeler Springs (3411953), Winters Ridge (3411886), Woolstalf Creek (3511853)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 16
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
38 34 %
Road/trail construction/maint. 17 15%
ORV activity 11 9%
Wood cutting or brush clearing 10 9%
Foot traffic/trampling 10 9%
Non-native plant impacts 5 4%
Other 4 3%
Grazing 4 3%
Erosion/runoff 3 2%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 3 2%
Development 2 1%
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime 1 0%
Degraded water quality 1 0%
Improper burning regime 1 0%
Logging 1 0%
Mining 1 0%
Over-collecting/poaching 1 0%

Notes
Threatened by development, grazing, non-native plants, recreational activities, and vehicles. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 14:266 (1879) for original description, and Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 27:459 (1940) for taxonomic treatment.
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 9 May 2025].