Calochortus amabilis and several other early species are flowering
in my bulb house now. Beside the several plants of C. amabilis is
what appears to be a self-sown seedling of unusual appearance. While
C. amabilis is bright yellow and usually without purple markings at
the base of the tepals, the seedling is pale yellow with a cloudy
lavender zone at the bases. It's also somewhat hairy. Nearby grow
yellow Calochortus monophyllus, which is also in flower now and has
distinct dark markings, and white Calochortus albus just starting to
open. I assumed the new flower was a hybrid of C. amabilis x
monophyllus, given its hairiness, but I don't know why it would be
paler than either parent. Mary Gerritsen, in her excellent book
"Calochortus: Mariposa lilies and their relatives," notes that C.
monophyllus has a natural hybrid with C. albus, even though the two
are in different botanical sections (monophyllus in Eleganti, albus
in Pulchelli; amabilis is in Pulchelli). Thus, it may be C.
monophyllus x albus, despite the plant's proximity to C. amabilis
and the close resemblance of the two in height, leaf and scape (C.
albus is very tall). Calochortus seeds are easily dispersed when one
collects the capsules, and the wind blows them around.

Has any other grower seen such a Calochortus? Do you know what the
parents are?