Origin:
Native
Life Cycle:
Perennial
General Desc:
Yellow to bright orangish-red, 3-petaled flowers bloom in a cluster on top of 8 inch long, sometimes twisted stems. Grayish-green leaves are narrow and grass-like. Mariposa means "butterfly" in Spanish. Identification notes: Petals yellow to bright orangish-red; petal gland round, depressed, sometimes deeply so, surrounded by conspicuously fringed membrane. Stems sometimes twisted. Height:
To 8 inches Habitat
Habitat Description: Open or shrubby flats, rocky slopes and desert areas in dry soil. Plant Communities:
Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland Elevation: Below 5000 feet Flower Characteristics
Color:
Yellow to orangish-red
Shape:
Regular in round clusters
Tubular:
N
Flowering Period:
Mar - Jun Description:
Flowers have 3 yellow to bright orangish-red petals with purple to black bases. Flowers are up to 3 inches wide, usually have a brownish spot near base. They grow in clusters of up to 6 flowers.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaf Color:
Grayish-green
Leaf Type:
Simple
Leaf Shape:
Narrow
Leaf Margin:
Smooth
Leaf Attachment:
Basal and alternate
Leaves Clasp:
N Hairs:
No
Spines:
N
Leaf Description:
The leaves are narrow and grasslike with margins that curl upward. Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit Color: Brown Fruit Type: Capsule Fruit Notes: Capsules are erect, 2 to 2-1/2 inches, longitudinally striped, lanceolate, angled. Seed Notes: Seeds are flat.
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590