Weed's Mariposa Lily

Calochortus weedii is a perennial herb producing a slender, branching stem 30 to 90 centimeters tall. There is a basal leaf up to 40 centimeters long which withers by the time the plant blooms. The inflorescence bears 2 to 6 erect, widely bell-shaped to spreading flowers. Each flower has three narrow sepals and three wider and sometimes shorter petals, each segment up to 3 centimeters long. The petals are oval or wedge-shaped and may be any of a variety of colors, from cream to deep yellow to reddish purple. The petals often have reddish brown borders and flecks, and a coating of hairs on the inner surface. The fruit is an angled capsule 4 to 5 centimeters long.

formerly included. Three taxa once considered varieties of Calochortus weedii are now generally classified as distinct species:

Calochortus weedii var. obispoensis, now called Calochortus obispoensis Calochortus weedii var. purpurascens, now called Calochortus fimbriatus Calochortus weedii var. vestus, now called Calochortus fimbriatus