Lilium humboldtii
Lilium kelleyanum
Humboldt lily, Humboldt's lily
Kelley's lily
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, unbranched, continuously scaly, 1.4–3.1 × 3.8–8.2 cm, 0.3–0.6 times taller than long;
scales 2–3-segmented, a few unsegmented, longest 0.8–2.7 cm;
stem roots absent.
to 3.1 m. Buds rounded in cross section.
to 2.2 m. Buds rounded in cross section.
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.
scattered or usually in 1–4 whorls or partial whorls, 3–10 leaves per whorl, horizontal and drooping at tips, 7.8–15.8 × 1.1–5.3 cm, 3.2–10.8 times longer than wide;
blade usually elliptic, occasionally weakly lanceolate or oblanceolate, margins not undulate, apex narrowly acute;
veins and margins ± smooth abaxially.
racemose, 1–33(–40)-flowered.
racemose, 1–15(–25)-flowered.
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, mildly fragrant;
perianth Turk’s-cap-shaped;
sepals and petals reflexed 2/5 along length from base, yellow or yellow-orange, usually with copious maroon spots, not distinctly clawed;
sepals not ridged abaxially, 4.3–5.7 × 0.9–1.5 cm;
petals 4.2–5.7 × 0.9–1.5 cm;
stamens moderately exserted;
filaments moderately spreading, diverging 9°–19° from axis;
anthers magenta or dull red, 0.3–0.6 cm;
pollen pale orange, rust, orange, or tan-orange;
pistil 2.6–3.4 cm;
ovary 0.8–1.4 cm;
style green;
pedicel 8.5–20.7 cm.
longitudinally keeled, 2.5–5.4 × 1.8–3.3 cm, 1.1–2.3 times longer than wide.
1.5–2.9 × 1–1.9 cm, 1.1–2 times longer than wide.
not counted.
96–169.
= 24.
Lilium humboldtii
Lilium kelleyanum
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.)
Lilium kelleyanum has in common with L. parvum a short, relatively wide fruit and small flowers, and divides with that species the montane and subalpine Sierra Nevada on both sides of the divide from Lake Tahoe south. The two species are parapatrically distributed with an intervening zone of introgression; intergrades occur, among other places, in the June Lake region about ten miles south of Mono Lake in Mono County and in adjacent Madera County. The two species appear to be sister taxa (M. W. Skinner 1988), which argues against subsuming L. kelleyanum as a subspecies of L. pardalinum, as has been suggested by several students of the group. Despite the close affinity of L. kelleyanum to L. parvum, taxonomic custom within the genus dictates that they be retained as separate species since floral features are well differentiated.
Lilium kelleyanum is pollinated by swallowtail butterflies (J. S. Davis 1956).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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 |
CA
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