mariposa lily
noun
mar·i·po·sa lily
ˌmer-ə-ˈpō-zə- 
ˌma-rə-,
-sə-
: any of a genus (Calochortus) of western North American plants of the lily family with showy flowers having three petals and three sepals
called also mariposa tulip
compare sego lilyExamples of mariposa lily in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Desert mariposa lily and magnificent lupine grow in early summer in the park’s mountains and juniper woodlands.
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Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
Look for native mariposa lilies such as pink blooming Calochortus splendens, bright yellow with gold speckled Calochortus weedii, and white blooming Calochortus dunnii.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
Among the typical spring flowers are orange or purple mariposa lilies, desert five spots (with their five red spots), bright yellow desert golds and desert dandelions, and purple sage.
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Naturalist Ann Sarg suggests visiting the park to catch blooms in May, when natives like Nelson’s larkspur, nuttall violet, sand lilies, and mariposa lily bloom along paths like the Willow Creek trail.
—Sunset, 22 Jan. 2018
Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
Look for native mariposa lilies such as pink blooming Calochortus splendens, bright yellow with gold speckled Calochortus weedii, and white blooming Calochortus dunnii.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
Among the typical spring flowers are orange or purple mariposa lilies, desert five spots (with their five red spots), bright yellow desert golds and desert dandelions, and purple sage.
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Naturalist Ann Sarg suggests visiting the park to catch blooms in May, when natives like Nelson’s larkspur, nuttall violet, sand lilies, and mariposa lily bloom along paths like the Willow Creek trail.
—Sunset, 22 Jan. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mariposa lily.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Mariposa lily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mariposa%20lily. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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