Wildflowers of the Mojave Desert: Calochortus Flexuosus

Two calochortus species are found in the Mojave Desert - the orange calochortus kennedyi and the somewhat less widespread calochortus flexuosus, for which the common name of winding mariposa lily refers to the slender, straggly stems. The plant's range extends east from the California deserts into far southwest Colorado. The three petals are colored pale pink, with a neat pattern of orange, yellow and purple patches at the base; between and below are three narrow sepals. Six stamens radiate out from the center. Flowers are large in relation to the thin stems and the narrow, linear leaves.

Other species in the liliaceae family