mariposa lily

mar·i·po·sa lily  (mr-pz, -s)

n.

Any of several bulbous plants of the genus Calochortus of western North America, having variously colored, tuliplike flowers. Also called mariposa tulip.

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[Probably from American Spanish mariposa, from Spanish, butterfly, from María pósate, Mary alight!, María, Mary + pósate, second person sing. reflexive imperative of posar, to perch (from Late Latin pausre, to pause, from Latin pausa, pause).]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

mariposa lily - any of several plants of the genus Calochortus having tulip-shaped flowers with 3 sepals and 3 petals; southwestern United States and Mexico mariposa, 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