mariposa

mariposa [ˌmærɪˈpəʊzə -sə]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any of several liliaceous plants of the genus Calochortus, of the southwestern US and Mexico, having brightly coloured tulip-like flowers Also called mariposa lily, tulip

[from Spanish: butterfly; from the likeness of the blooms to butterflies]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

mariposa - any of several plants of the genus Calochortus having tulip-shaped flowers with 3 sepals and 3 petals; southwestern United States and Mexico mariposa lily, mariposa tulip liliaceous plant - plant growing from a bulb or corm or rhizome or tuber Calochortus, genus Calochortus - large genus of western North American leafy-stemmed bulbous herbs Calochortus elegans, elegant cat's ears, star tulip - small plant with slender bent stems bearing branched clusters of a few white star-shaped flowers with petals shaped like cat's ears; southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon to Montana Calochortus kennedyi, desert mariposa tulip - mariposa with clusters of bell-shaped vermilion or orange or yellow flowers atop short stems; southern California to Arizona and Mexico Calochortus luteus, yellow mariposa tulip - mariposa having clusters of a few large deep yellow bell-shaped flowers atop slender stems; California coastal ranges Calochortus macrocarpus, sagebrush mariposa tulip - mariposa having loose clusters of one to three handsome lilac flowers resembling umbels atop stout erect stems; arid northwestern North America east of Cascade Mountains from southern British Columbia to northern California