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lemon lily, Parry lily

Lilium bolanderi

Bolander's lily

Bulbs

rhizomatous, unbranched, continuously scaly, 1.5–4.7 × 3.5–11 cm, 0.2–0.6 times taller than long;

scales (1–)2(–4)-segmented, longest 0.9–3.7 cm;

stem roots absent.

± ovoid, 3.5–7.9 × 2.6–5.3 cm, 0.9–2.1 times taller than long;

scales unsegmented, longest 3–5.7 cm;

stem roots absent.

Stems

to 1.9 m. Buds rounded in cross section.

to 1.1 m, glaucous.

Buds

rounded in cross section.

Leaves

occasionally scattered in young plants or in 1–5 whorls or partial whorls, 3–18 leaves per whorl, ± horizontal and drooping at tips or ascending, 7.8–29 × 0.5–4.9 cm, 2.6–29 times longer than wide;

blade elliptic to narrowly linear, or ± obovate, often lanceolate in distal leaves, margins not undulate, apex acute, often narrowly so;

veins and margins ± smooth abaxially.

in 1–5(–6) whorls or partial whorls, 3–19 leaves per whorl, ascending and often cupping stem, 1.8–7.1 × 0.7–2.8 cm, 2.2–4.8 times longer than wide;

blade ± obovate, oblanceolate, or occasionally elliptic, noticeably glaucous, margins nearly always undulate, apex widely acute;

veins and margins ± smooth abaxially.

Inflorescences

racemose, 1–31-flowered.

usually umbellate in small plants, in large plants racemose or in 2 whorls, 1–9-flowered.

Flowers

opening before dusk, horizontal or somewhat nodding, slightly bilaterally symmetric, strongly fragrant;

perianth funnelform;

sepals and petals recurved 3/5 along length from base, lower less recurved than upper and forming landing platform, bright yellow with sparse, usually minute maroon spots, not distinctly clawed;

sepals not ridged abaxially, oblanceolate, 7.7–10.7 × 1.1–1.7 cm;

petals noticeably wider than sepals, often very wide distally, 7.8–10.6 × 1.1–2.1 cm, apex widely acute or sometimes obtuse;

stamens barely exserted;

filaments barely spreading, diverging at 5°–12°;

anthers pale magenta-brown, 0.8–1.4 cm;

pollen rust-orange or orange-brown;

pistil 5.3–9.3 cm;

ovary 1.6–2.9 cm;

style green, often pale;

pedicel 2–17.5 cm.

nodding to horizontal, not fragrant;

perianth ± campanulate or funnelform;

sepals and petals somewhat recurved 3/5–4/5 along length from base, red or magenta, occasionally salmon pink or pale yellow, with maroon spots, often yellowish on proximal 1/3–1/2, not distinctly clawed;

sepals not ridged abaxially, 3.1–4.7 × 0.7–1.2 cm;

petals 3–4.5 × 0.7–1.1 cm;

stamens included;

filaments barely spreading, diverging 0°–12° from axis;

anthers reddish or magenta, 0.3–0.8 cm;

pollen rust, orange, or yellow;

pistil 2.1–3.5 cm;

ovary 1–2.1 cm;

style green, rarely reddish purple;

pedicel 0.8–14.2 cm.

Capsules

3.9–5.9 × 1.1–1.7 cm, 2.5–4.4 times longer than wide.

2–4.1 × 1.2–2.1 cm, 1.4–3 times longer than wide.

Seeds

141–303.

90–210.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Lilium parryi

Lilium bolanderi

Phenology Flowering summer (late May–early Sep). Flowering summer (mid Jun–mid Aug).
Habitat Meadows, streams, and willow (Salix spp.) thickets in mixed conifer forests Dry serpentine soils in chaparral, gaps in open mixed conifer or Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco] forests, associated with bear-grass [Xerophyllum tenax (Pursh) Nuttall]
Elevation 1300–2600 m (4300–8500 ft) 100–1500 m (300–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants in Arizona start to bloom in May (T. H. Kearney and R. H. Peebles 1960), while the majority of California plants flower in July and August.

Plants from the San Gabriel Mountains of California sometimes have wider leaves and have been given status as Lilium parryi var. kessleri, but this variation is due primarily to the rather shaded habitat of many of these populations. No significant vegetative discontinuity can be recognized across the range of this species, so no varieties are recognized here.

Lilium parryi probably arose from an ancestor in common with L. pardalinum (M. W. Skinner 1988), and subsequently diverged to become pollinated by various hawkmoths (family Sphingidae). The flowers are remarkably similar in form and function to those of L. washingtonianum, which is also moth-pollinated, but this resemblance is due to evolutionary convergence.

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

I. M. Johnston (1923) noted that Lilium bolanderi Watson was based on a mixed collection including L. kelloggii, and he argued that Watson intended the name to apply primarily to the latter species. Thus he proposed the name L. howellii for this diminutive, red-flowered, serpentine endemic. A. D. Cotton (1936) correctly concluded that Watson’s description applied primarily to the specimens here called L. bolanderi, and this view is now widely accepted.

Lilium bolanderi hybridizes with L. rubescens, L. washingtonianum subsp. purpurascens, and subspecies of L. pardalinum.

Bolander’s lily is primarily pollinated by Allen’s and rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus spp., family Trochilidae).

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 191. FNA vol. 26, p. 185.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Lilium Liliaceae > Lilium
Sibling taxa
L. bolanderi, L. canadense, L. catesbaei, L. columbianum, L. grayi, L. humboldtii, L. iridollae, L. kelleyanum, L. kelloggii, L. lancifolium, L. maritimum, L. michauxii, L. michiganense, L. occidentale, L. pardalinum, L. parvum, L. philadelphicum, L. pyrophilum, L. rubescens, L. superbum, L. washingtonianum
L. canadense, L. catesbaei, L. columbianum, L. grayi, L. humboldtii, 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
Synonyms L. parryi var. kessleri L. howellii
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Davenport Acad. Nat. Sci. 2: 188. (1878) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 377. (1885)
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