We think we may know what grows in our backyards. Our native flora continues to present some pleasant surprises. Calochortus tiburonensis was discovered in 1970 and formally described as a species new to science in 1973. The species is now protected in a Nature Conservancy Reserve on Ring Mountain. That this large and oddly colored flower was discovered adjacent to a suburban neighborhood and not in the middle of a rainforest should be a source of inspiration to all who enjoy exploring nearby open spaces for new and unusual species.
DISTRIBUTION: A threatened species restricted to serpentine grassland on Ring Mountain, Marin Co., CA.; 50-150 m.