Lilium humboldtii
Lilium michauxii
Humboldt lily, Humboldt's lily
Carolina 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.
chunky, 2–3.5 × 2.5–4.4 cm, 0.6–0.9 times taller than long, 2 years’ growth evident;
scales ± loose, unsegmented or rarely 1–2-segmented, longest 1.5–2.6 cm;
stem roots present or rarely absent, often numerous.
to 3.1 m. Buds rounded in cross section.
to 1 m. Buds ± triangular 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.
in 2–4(–5) whorls or partial whorls, 3–10(–14) leaves per whorl, ± horizontal or somewhat ascending, especially distal leaves, 3.6–11.1 × 1.5–3.8 cm, 1.8–5.1 times longer than wide;
blade noticeably pale abaxially, oblanceolate, sometimes slightly or narrowly so, or occasionally obovate, texture noticeably fleshy, margins barely to strongly undulate, apex acuminate or sometimes acute, especially in distal leaves;
veins and margins ± smooth abaxially.
racemose, 1–33(–40)-flowered.
umbellate, 1–4-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, sweetly and strongly fragrant;
perianth Turk’s-cap-shaped;
sepals and petals reflexed 1/4–1/3 along length from base, pale green then orange proximally, burnt orange-red distally, usually with numerous fine, dark maroon spots, dull abaxially, not distinctly clawed;
sepals with 2 parallel, often faint abaxial ridges, 5.7–9.7 × 1.4–2.2 cm;
petals 5.7–9.2 × 1.8–2.9 cm;
stamens strongly exserted;
filaments parallel along most of length, then widely spreading, diverging 14°–25° from axis;
anthers purple, 1–2.2 cm;
pollen rust or sometimes rust-brown;
pistil 5–7.6 cm;
ovary 1.4–2.5 cm;
style very pale, often spotted purple;
pedicel 9.3–17.4 cm.
longitudinally keeled, 2.5–5.4 × 1.8–3.3 cm, 1.1–2.3 times longer than wide.
often longitudinally winged, 2.4–5.6 × 1.4–2.3 cm, 1.5–3.7 times longer than wide.
not counted.
not counted.
= 24.
Lilium humboldtii
Lilium michauxii
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.)
This is the only fragrant native lily east of the Rocky Mountains. The Carolina lily occurs in well-drained soils, while the three closely related congeners with which it is sympatric, Lilium superbum, L. iridollae, and L. pyrophilum, occur in either wetlands or moist woods. Where it occurs with L. superbum, as it often does along roadsides, L. superbum grows in the adjacent depressions and L. michauxii on the bank. Among its close relatives, its small stature, broad petals, and consistently oblanceolate leaves with undulate margins and acuminate tips are diagnostic. In these features it rather resembles several of the western taxa, especially smaller plants of L. rubescens; vegetative or fruiting herbarium material of the two can be confused. In L. michauxii the leaves are noticeably fleshy and pale abaxially, relatively few in number, and, perhaps because whorls are also few (commonly 2–4), the leaves seem concentrated near the middle of the stem.
This species is less common in the southwestern portion of its range, where it is sometimes encountered in vegetative form in shaded settings that preclude rapid growth and flowering.
Like the other southeastern pendent-flowered lilies, the Carolina lily is pollinated by large swallowtail butterflies including the eastern tiger (Papilio glaucus Linnaeus, family Papilionidae).
(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 |
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