Flower profile
Bruneau mariposa lily
Calochortus bruneaunis
Bruneau mariposa lily (Calochortus bruneaunis) is a flowering plant in the Liliaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.
Bruneau mariposa lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Nevada it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nevada
Quick look
Calochortus bruneaunis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family, and is known by the common name Bruneau mariposa lily.
- It belongs to the Liliaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Nevada. NatureServe
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 617 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #62 among the 132 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Nevada, most flowering sightings come in May–July.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MT (S2), UT (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Calochortus nuttalli” (Calochortus spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records bruneau mariposa lily in 6 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Carson City, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, White Pine.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 37 counties across 5 states; the most are in Nevada (17), Idaho (10), California (4).
Other Calochortus on Bloomipedia (9): White globe lily, Yellow mariposa lily, Tolmie's pussy ears, Gunnison's mariposa lily, Sego lily, Sagebrush mariposa lily, Winding mariposa lily, White mariposa lily, Baker's mariposa lily.
More from the Liliaceae family (32 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Yellow trout lily, Cucumber root, Bluebead lily, White fawnlily, Checker lily, Glacier lily, Columbia lily, Hooker's fairybells.
More Nevada flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CABR4.
- iNaturalist, Calochortus bruneaunis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Calochortus bruneaunis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Calochortus bruneaunis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: rickr via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.