Erythronium purpurascens
Encyclopedia
Erythronium purpurascens is a species of flowering plant in the lily family
which is known by the common names purple fawn lily and Sierra Nevada fawn lily.
It is endemic to California
, where it grows in the high mountains of the southern Cascade Range
and Sierra Nevada.
2 to 4 centimeters long and produces two narrow green leaves up to 15 centimeters in length. The erect stalks reach a maximum of 20 centimeters tall and each bears one to six flowers. The flower has white tepal
s with yellow bases which turn purple with age. Each tepal is only one or two centimeters long and curls back. The stamen
s and their large anthers and the style
are yellow. The flowers bloom as the last snow is melting, which might not be until summer.
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
which is known by the common names purple fawn lily and Sierra Nevada fawn lily.
It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in the high mountains of the southern Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
and Sierra Nevada.
Description
This mountain wildflower, Erythronium purpurascens, grows from a bulbBulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
2 to 4 centimeters long and produces two narrow green leaves up to 15 centimeters in length. The erect stalks reach a maximum of 20 centimeters tall and each bears one to six flowers. The flower has white tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s with yellow bases which turn purple with age. Each tepal is only one or two centimeters long and curls back. The stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and their large anthers and the style
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...
are yellow. The flowers bloom as the last snow is melting, which might not be until summer.