Description: The large, bowl-shaped flower consists of three large petals with hairy yellow bases, and three small, pointed sepals. Six short stamens sport long anthers.

Habitat: Dry flats and forest openings up to 10,000 feet.

Edibility: The bulbs presented a major food source for some Native American tribes.

Comments: This showy flower is not easily missed. Mariposa is Spanish for "butterfly," as the large white petals resemble butterfly wings. The hairy glandular centers catch pollen from visiting insects.