Erythronium purpurascens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Erythronium purpurascens | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||
| Erythronium purpurascens S.Wats. |
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. This mountain wildflower grows from a bulb 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 tepals with yellow bases which turn purple with age. Each tepal is only one or two centimeters long and curls back. The stamens and their large anthers and the style are yellow. The flowers bloom as the last snow is melting, which might not be until summer.
