Valentien especially enjoyed painting species of Calochortus, a stunning genus in the Lily family that displays its greatest diversity in California, including 65 species that show a dazzling panoply of variation. The name Calochortus comes from the Greek for “beautiful grass”; the latter refers to the linear, grass-like leaves. Many of these species are of special conservation status, as they are either threatened or endangered plants and often have a very specific, restricted distribution.