White globe lily - Flower of the Forest in Big Basin State Park

Text by J. Zimmerman, Ph.D.
All photos (c) 2002-2011 Scott Peden, Photographer and Docent at Big Basin State Park.

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J. Zimmerman's favorite wild flower of the Berry Creek Falls Loop Trail of the Big Basin State Park is White globe lily (Calochortus albus).

She especially likes it because the flower is spherical when it first blossoms and shows amazing rotational triple symmetry: each petal overlaps above one of its neighbors (as does the petal on the left below) and below the other other neighbor.

Tinged slightly peach, this three-petaled globe-like flower hangs like a delicate lantern from a slender stem. It is one of the most beautiful flowers in this area. White globe lily new blossom by Scott Peden (Sequoia Trail):

And in a spring rain:

For much of its life, the White globe lily is a silky spherical shell that insects crawl inside for nectar. As the flower matures, it opens, as in this frontal view of a blossom by Scott Peden:

Maturing White globe lily by Scott Peden (Sequoia Trail):

White globe lily showing development of three-fold pods by Scott Peden:

See also these flowers of the redwoods

• California Fetid Adder's Tongue (Scoliopus bigelovii).
• Hooker's fairy bell (Disporum hookeri)
• Leopard lily (Lilium pardalinum).
• Trail plant (Adenocaulon bicolor).
• Western Azalea (Rhododendron occidentale).
• White globe lily (Calochortus albus).
• California flower species in Big Basin State Park on the Berry Creek Falls Loop.

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Check our disclaimer. Text Copyright © 2005-2011 by J. Zimmerman, Ph.D. Photos Copyright © 2002-2011 by Scott Peden. The moral and intellectual property rights to the photos are asserted by Scott Peden. None of the photos referenced on this page may be reproduced without permission of Scott Peden.

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