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Humboldt lily, Humboldt's lily

panhandle lily, pot-of-gold lily

Bulbs

often somewhat purplish, variable, subrhizomatous to ± ovoid, 3.3–11.7 × 2.4–14.4 cm, 0.4–2.6(–3) times taller than long;

scales unsegmented or notched, longest 3.5–11.2 cm;

stem roots present or absent.

rhizomatous, often branching, 1.4–2.9 × 9.6–18 cm, 0.1–0.3 times taller than long, 3–4 years’ growth evident as annual bulbs, older growth often with perpendicular thin branches leading to small new bulbs and always with noticeable abscission scars, youngest 3 years’ growth bearing basal leaves, scaleless sections between annual bulbs 2.7–5.4 cm;

scales unsegmented, longest 1–2 cm;

stem roots present or absent.

Stems

to 3.1 m. Buds rounded in cross section.

to 2 m. Buds ± triangular in cross section.

Leaves

in 2–8 whorls or partial whorls, 3–16(–28) leaves per whorl, usually ascending, 4.6–14.5 × 0.8–3.6 cm, 2.9–7.2 times longer than wide;

blade usually ± oblanceolate, though often weakly so, rarely elliptic or lanceolate, margins usually undulate, apex acute;

veins and margins ± smooth abaxially.

in 1–5 whorls or partial whorls, 3–10 leaves per whorl, ascending, sometimes only slightly, or occasionally ± horizontal and drooping slightly at tips, 3.1–15.7 × 0.5–3.6 cm, 2.1–9.3 times longer than wide;

blade weakly to sometimes narrowly oblanceolate, occasionally obovate, elliptic, or narrowly elliptic, margins not undulate, apex acute, acuminate in distal leaves;

central vein in particular impressed adaxially, veins and margins often somewhat roughened abaxially with tiny ± deltoid epidermal spicules.

Inflorescences

racemose, 1–33(–40)-flowered.

umbellate or rarely racemose, 1–4-flowered.

Flowers

pendent, not fragrant;

perianth Turk’s-cap-shaped;

sepals and petals reflexed 1/5 along length from base, orange or yellow, with prominent red or magenta spots, not distinctly clawed;

sepals not ridged abaxially, 5.2–9.8 × 1.4–2.4 cm;

petals 5.6–9.6 × 1.5–2.9 cm;

stamens strongly exserted;

filaments parallel along most of length, then very widely spreading, diverging 17°–31° from axis;

anthers purple, 1.1–1.9 cm;

pollen rust, tan, or peach, becoming yellow or tan-yellow;

pistil 4.6–7.1 cm;

ovary 1.2–2.6 cm;

style green, often pale;

pedicel 7.8–21.2 cm.

pendent, not fragrant;

perianth Turk’s-cap-shaped;

sepals and petals reflexed less than 1/5 along length from base, yellow-orange or yellow, sometimes orange-yellow, often suffused with red distally, spotted maroon, often nearly to apex, not distinctly clawed, nectaries exposed, forming visible green star;

sepals with 2 parallel, often faint abaxial ridges, 6.2–10.2 × 1.1–1.8 cm;

petals 6.1–10 × 1.2–2.2 cm;

stamens strongly exserted;

filaments parallel along much of length, then widely spreading, diverging 14°–31° from axis;

anthers magenta, 1–1.6 cm;

pollen rust or sometimes rust-orange;

pistil 4.7–6.8 cm;

ovary 1.5–2.5 cm;

style very pale green, often spotted purple near apex;

pedicel 10–23 cm.

Capsules

longitudinally keeled, 2.5–5.4 × 1.8–3.3 cm, 1.1–2.3 times longer than wide.

2.5–5 × 1.7–3 cm, 1.2–2.2 times longer than wide.

Seeds

not counted.

not counted.

Lilium humboldtii

Lilium iridollae

Phenology Flowering summer (late Jul–late Aug).
Habitat Streamsides, bogs, and seeps in wet pine woodlands, hardwood baygall scrub, wet roadside ditches, associated with pitcher plants (Sarracenia spp.)
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Lilium humboldtii is declining throughout its range due to habitat destruction, primarily for housing. Forming large scattered colonies at foothill elevations under ponderosa pines or in oak canyons and chaparral, these massive plants with towering inflorescences and large flowers are quite striking. With Lilium pardalinum and L. parryi, they were used in the early part of the century to produce the Bellingham hybrid lilies, development of which continued with the Bellmaid hybrids. Though not as popular as various Asiatic hybrids, these are still in use.

A. M. Kellogg was aware as early as 1859 that the tall, orange-flowered, dry-land lily from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada was distinctive, and he presented this opinion to the California Academy of Sciences about that time (A. M. Kellogg 1872). By the time he had published a description attached to the name Lilium bloomerianum, P. E. S. Duchartre had described this same plant from material provided by B. Roezl and grown by M. Leichtlin, and named it after the German explorer and botanist Alexander von Humboldt. Carl Purdy and others then misapplied Kellogg’s name in various combinations to the southern California expression recognized here as Lilium humboldtii subsp. ocellatum.

The Humboldt lily is pollinated primarily by large butterflies, especially western tiger swallowtails (Papilio rutulus Lucas, family Papilionidae) and pale swallowtails (P. eurymedon Lucas), and to a lesser extent by the monarch butterfly [Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus), family Nymphalidae].

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

As its vernacular name indicates, the panhandle lily is restricted to a small area in the western Florida panhandle and adjacent Alabama, where it has been much reduced in number by land-clearing for pasture and housing. It is now under consideration for federal protection.

Lilium iridollae is allopatrically distributed with its close relative L. superbum, though the latter occurs within 40 miles of the northernmost populations of the panhandle lily. Blooming times are staggered, L. iridollae typically starting to bloom as L. superbum is finishing. Diagnostic features include the usually brighter flower color, less numerous, shorter, noticeably though subtly oblanceolate leaves in five or fewer whorls (L. superbum has six or more), and few flowers, as well as very long rhizomes with basal leaves, as much as four years’ visible growth, and extended scaleless sections between the annual growth bulbs.

Lilium iridollae is pollinated by all the larger swallowtail butterflies within its limited range, especially the spicebush (Papilio troilus Linnaeus, family Papilionidae), eastern tiger (Papilio glaucus, Linnaeus), and palamedes [Papilio palamedes (Drury)].

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Sepals and petals orange, spots magenta, without lighter red margins; bulbs off white, occasionally flecked with purple, scales always unsegmented; foothills of Sierra Nevada.
subsp. humboldtii
1. Sepals and petals yellow or light orange, spots red or magenta, aureolated with lighter red margins; bulbs often purplish, scales usually notched; s California.
subsp. ocellatum
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 181. FNA vol. 26, p. 193.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Lilium Liliaceae > Lilium
Sibling taxa
L. bolanderi, L. canadense, L. catesbaei, L. columbianum, L. grayi, L. iridollae, L. kelleyanum, L. kelloggii, L. lancifolium, L. maritimum, L. michauxii, L. michiganense, L. occidentale, L. pardalinum, L. parryi, L. parvum, L. philadelphicum, L. pyrophilum, L. rubescens, L. superbum, L. washingtonianum
L. bolanderi, L. canadense, L. catesbaei, L. columbianum, L. grayi, L. humboldtii, L. kelleyanum, L. kelloggii, L. lancifolium, L. maritimum, L. michauxii, L. michiganense, L. occidentale, L. pardalinum, L. parryi, L. parvum, L. philadelphicum, L. pyrophilum, L. rubescens, L. superbum, L. washingtonianum
Subordinate taxa
L. humboldtii subsp. humboldtii, L. humboldtii subsp. ocellatum
Name authority Roezl & Leichtlin ex Duchartre: J. Soc. Centr. Hort. France, sér. 2, 5: 43. (1871) M. G. Henry: Bartonia 24: 2. (1947)
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