Perennial herb to about 15 cm; bulbils absent. Leaves basal and cauline; basal leaf longer than stem, present at flowering. Inflorescence umbel-like. Flowers bellshaped, erect to spreading; spring to summer. Tepals to 12 mm long, inner 3 sparsely-fringed, bluish; smooth above a membrane-fringed, elongated gland. Anthers acute, shorter than filaments.

C. amoenus Greene, Rosy Fairy Lantern, from California, is a perennial herb to about 50 cm; bulbils absent. Leaves basal and cauline; basal leaf longer than stem, present at flowering. Inflorescence slender, umbel-like. Flowers narrowly spherical or bell-shaped, erect to drooping; spring. Tepals to 30 mm long, inner 3 fringed, dark purple-pink; smooth or few-haired above a depressed, membrane-fringed, elongated. Anthers blunt, equalling the filaments.

C. splendens Benth., Splendid Mariposa Lily, from California to Mexico, is a perennial herb to about 60 cm; bulbils rarely present. Leaves basal and cauline; basal leaf longer than stem, present at flowering. Inflorescence cymose. Flowers bell-shaped, erect; summer.Tepals to 50 mm long, pale purple, with a median dark purple patch; silky-hairy above a small, rounded papillate gland. Anthers acute to blunt, shorter than filaments.

C. weedii Wood,Weed's Mariposa Lily, from California to Mexico, is a perennial herb to about 60 cm; bulbils absent. Leaves basal and cauline; basal leaf usually absent at flowering. Inflorescence cymose. Flowers broadly bell-shaped, erect; summer.Tepals to 30 mm long, orange-yellow with red-brown markings, minutely fringed; hairy above a small, rounded gland. Anthers acute, equalling the filaments.

California.

Source: Conran, J. (2005). Liliaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.