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Cascade lily, Mount Hood lily, Shasta lily, Washington lily

Carolina lily

Bulbs

subrhizomatous to ± ovoid, 2.7–10 × 4.4–13.4 cm, 0.2–0.9(–1.4) times taller than long;

scales unsegmented or notched with 2(–3) poorly defined segments, sometimes 2-segmented, longest 3.3–11.9 cm;

stem roots 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.

Stems

to 2 m, often glaucous.

to 1 m.

Buds

rounded in cross section.

± triangular in cross section.

Leaves

in 1–8 whorls or partial whorls, 3–16 leaves per whorl, horizontal and drooping at tips to ascending, occasionally nearly clasping stem, 3.7–12.3 × 0.9–4.7 cm, 2–6.5 times longer than wide;

blade oblanceolate, sometimes obovate, rarely elliptic, margins undulate or not, apex acute, often widely so;

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.

Inflorescences

racemose, 1–33-flowered.

umbellate, 1–4-flowered.

Flowers

opening before dusk, ± horizontal, slightly bilaterally symmetric, strongly fragrant;

perianth ± funnelform;

sepals and petals recurved 2/3–3/4 along length from base and scarcely overlapping to form tube, lower usually less recurved than upper and forming landing platform, white, often aging deep pink or lavender, often with short yellowish stripe extending from basal median nectaries, often with fine magenta spots concentrated basally, not distinctly clawed;

sepals sometimes purplish abaxially, not ridged abaxially, (6.1–)6.7–11.3 × 0.9–1.7 cm;

petals noticeably wider than sepals, oblanceolate and often very wide distally, (6.1–)6.6–11.2 × 1.1–2.4 cm, apex widely acute, obtuse, or rounded;

stamens barely exserted;

filaments barely spreading, diverging 2°–8° from axis;

anthers off white or cream, becoming pale pink or yellow, 0.8–1.5 cm;

pollen yellow or cream;

pistil 7.5–10.4 cm;

ovary 1.7–3.4 cm;

style pale green;

pedicel 4.8–15 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.

Capsules

often with 6 longitudinal ridges, 2.7–5.8 × 1.6–2.9 cm, 1.3–2.3 times longer than wide.

often longitudinally winged, 2.4–5.6 × 1.4–2.3 cm, 1.5–3.7 times longer than wide.

Seeds

123–231.

not counted.

2n

= 24.

Lilium washingtonianum

Lilium michauxii

Phenology Flowering summer (Jul–mid Aug).
Habitat Roadsides, pine-oak or open rich woods, bluffs
Elevation 0–1600 m (0–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
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from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
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Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

(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.)

Key
1. Sepals and petals aging light pink or remaining white; bulbs sometimes (36%) without notched or segmented scales; sepals 8–11.3 cm; Sierra Nevada and s Cascades of California.
subsp. washingtonianum
1. Sepals and petals aging deep pink or lavender; bulbs usually (88%) with some notched or segmented scales; sepals (6.1–)6.7–9.5 cm; mountains of n California and Oregon.
subsp. purpurascens
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 182. FNA vol. 26, p. 195.
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. parryi, L. parvum, L. philadelphicum, L. pyrophilum, L. rubescens, L. superbum
L. bolanderi, L. canadense, L. catesbaei, L. columbianum, L. grayi, L. humboldtii, L. iridollae, L. kelleyanum, L. kelloggii, L. lancifolium, L. maritimum, L. michiganense, L. occidentale, L. pardalinum, L. parryi, L. parvum, L. philadelphicum, L. pyrophilum, L. rubescens, L. superbum, L. washingtonianum
Subordinate taxa
L. washingtonianum subsp. purpurascens, L. washingtonianum subsp. washingtonianum
Synonyms L. canadense var. carolinianum, L. carolinianum, L. superbum var. carolinianum
Name authority Kellogg: Hesperian (San Francisco) 3: 340. (1859) Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl., suppl. 3: 457. (1814)
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