Broad Fruit Mariposa Lily

Stems not branching, straight, 2–4 dm, proximal internodes elongate; bulblets rare. Leaves: basal usually persistent, 1–3 dm × 10–25 mm; blade flat, tapering toward both ends, becoming involute; cauline ca. halfway up stem. Inflorescences subumbellate, 1–4-flowered; bracts 2 or more, narrowly lanceolate to linear, long-attenuate, unequal, 2–10 cm. Flowers erect; perianth open, campanulate; sepals ovate to lanceolate, shorter than petals, glabrous, apex acuminate; petals lavender, with deep purple adaxial crescent distal to gland, obovate, cuneate, ± ciliate laterally, sparingly covered with long, flexuous hairs distal to gland; glands ± triangular-lunate, slightly depressed, bordered proximally by narrow, deeply fringed membrane, covered with short, thick hairs, hairs and membrane fringe densely covered with long papillae; filaments longer than anthers; anthers oblong, 6–10 mm, apex obtuse. Capsules erect, 3-winged, ellipsoid to nearly globular. Seeds light beige. 2n = 40.

Idaho, Oreg., Wash.

Flowering summer.

Low meadows along creeks; 700--900m.

Calochortus nitidus, the broadfruit mariposa lily, is a North American species of flowering plants in the lily family native to the northwestern United States.

Calochortus nitidus is found primarily in northern Idaho and southeastern Washington, but isolated populations have been reported from Jackson County in southwestern Oregon.