Palmer's mariposa lily
Images copyright by Mark A. Chappell
Mariposa lilies in the genus Calochortus are among my favorite western wildflowers. They occur in a variety of colors and shapes. This white or pale lavendar species, C. palmeri, or Palmer's mariposa lily, was photographed near Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County, California, during the reasonably wet spring of 2008. A close relative, the bright red Calochortus kennedyi, was growing nearby.
