Scientific Family
Liliaceae
Synonyms
Anthericum flavescens, Anthericum torreyi
Other common names
Torrey's Crag-Lily
Torrey's craglily
amberlily
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
6 to 14 inches
Riparian
No
Leaves clustered at the base; flowers 3/4 inch apart, faces flat, upper third of slender, unbranched stems, bloom bottom up; 6 yellow petals and sepals, darker veined down the center, open morning, close afternoon.
Flowers 6 yellow tepals (3 petals and 3 sepals) arranged vertically on an erect, leafless flowering stalk; fruits oblong capsules, often surrounded by the dried, petals and sepals; tufts of grass-like basal leaves are fringed with hairs on the edges.
Habitat
Grasslands, woodlands, and openings in pine forests.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Grasslands
Low elevation
6000
High elevation
10000
Flower Characteristics
1 to 2 slender spike-like flower stems; flowers face upward or away from stem; petals oval, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long; sepals <1/4 inch wide, 3 petals 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide; stamens narrowly cylindrical to club-shaped, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long.
Flower color
Sepals and petals yellow
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
July
Last bloom month
August
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Grass-like basal leaves about 3 to 15 per plant, with narrow linear blades tapering gradually to a point; 3 to 16 inches long and <1/8 inch wide; finely toothed with small hairs in the margins.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruits are oblong capsules often surrounded by the dried, clearish sepals and petals; 1/2 inch long and 1/4 inch thick; 3-lobed; capsules split open to release seeds when mature.
Fruit type
Capsule