mariposa - any of several plants of the genus Calochortus having tulip-shaped flowers with 3 sepals and 3 petals; southwestern United States and MexicoCalochortus elegans, elegant cat's ears, star tulip - small plant with slender bent stems bearing branched clusters of a few white star-shaped flowers with petals shaped like cat's ears; southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon to Montana Calochortus macrocarpus, sagebrush mariposa tulip - mariposa having loose clusters of one to three handsome lilac flowers resembling umbels atop stout erect stems; arid northwestern North America east of Cascade Mountains from southern British Columbia to northern California |