Lilium pyrophilum
Lilium rubescens
Sandhills lily
chaparral lily, redwood lily
rhizomatous, occasionally branching dichotomously at 120° from main axis, 2.4–2.8 × 5.2–8.6 cm, 0.3–0.5 times taller than long, 2–3 years’ growth evident as annual bulbs, scaleless sections between these 0.3–2.5 cm;
scales unsegmented, longest 1.1–1.9 cm;
stem roots absent or sometimes present.
± ovoid, 3.9–9.4 × 2.5–7.1 cm, 1.1–2.6 times taller than long;
scales unsegmented, longest 4–8.9 cm;
stem roots absent.
0.6–1.6 m. Buds ± triangular in cross section.
to 2 m, often glaucous.
rounded in cross section.
often concentrated proximally, occasionally scattered, usually in 1–12 whorls or partial whorls, 3–11(–15) leaves per whorl, barely to moderately ascending proximally, drooping at tips or not, ascending and appressed distally, 2.3–10.3(–12.2) × 0.8–2.4 cm, 1.6–7.6(–10.3) times longer than wide;
blade narrowly elliptic, margins not undulate, apex acute, barely acuminate on distal leaves;
veins and margins ± smooth abaxially.
in 3–5(–more) whorls or partial whorls, 3–15 leaves per whorl, usually ± ascending, sometimes horizontal and drooping at tips, 3.2–12.3 × 1–2.8 cm, 2–6.4 times longer than wide;
blade oblanceolate, sometimes obovate, rarely elliptic, margins usually undulate, apex acute, often widely so, or obtuse;
veins and margins ± smooth abaxially.
racemose, 1–7-flowered.
racemose, often with flowers in loosely defined whorls, 1–40-flowered.
pendent, not fragrant;
perianth Turk’s-cap-shaped;
sepals and petals reflexed 1/5–1/4 along length from base, yellow (occasionally pale yellow or yellow-orange) proximally, red-orange or dusky red (occasionally magenta, pinkish, pale orange, or red) distally, spotted magenta, not distinctly clawed, nectaries exposed, forming visible green star (or triangle, when only sepal nectaries are exposed);
sepals with 2 parallel, often faint abaxial ridges, 6.7–8.9 × 1.1–1.7 cm;
petals 6.3–8.7 × 1.5–2.2 cm;
stamens strongly exserted;
filaments parallel at first, then widely spreading, diverging 12°–28° from axis;
anthers magenta or sometimes purple, 1.1–1.8 cm;
pollen rust;
pistil 3.4–6.4 cm;
ovary 1.5–2.8 cm;
style pale green, often spotted purple;
pedicel 6.8–16.5 cm.
ascending to erect, fragrant;
perianth funnelform;
sepals and petals recurved 1/2–2/3 along length from base, white, aging pink-purple, with fine magenta spots concentrated proximally or less often generally distributed, often reddish or purplish abaxially, not distinctly clawed;
sepals not ridged abaxially, 4.3–6.6 × 0.6–1.4 cm;
petals noticeably wider than sepals, oblanceolate and often very wide proximally, 4.2–6.4 × 0.9–1.9 cm, apex widely acute, obtuse, or rounded;
stamens included;
filaments barely spreading, diverging 3°–12° from axis;
anthers pale yellow, 0.4–0.8 cm;
pollen yellow;
pistil 2.7–3.8 cm;
ovary 1.2–1.8 cm;
style pale green;
pedicel 1.4–9.5 cm.
2.8–4.7 × 1.5–1.9 cm, 1.7–2.8 times longer than wide.
usually with 6 longitudinal ridges, 2–3.7 × 1.7–2.7 cm, 1.1–1.7 times longer than wide.
not counted.
67–189.
= 24.
Lilium pyrophilum
Lilium rubescens
Lilium pyrophilum is narrowly endemic to the Sandhills region of southern Virginia, North Carolina, and northern South Carolina. The most ecologically intact populations occur on military bases in the Carolinas that are carefully managed to ensure the frequent fires that promote this fire-dependent lily; many of these fires are initiated by exploding ordnance.
Its close relative, Lilium superbum, occurs to the west in the upper Piedmont, and is not known from the Sandhills proper. Prior to the description of L. pyrophilum, specimens now assignable to it were masquerading in herbaria as other species, primarily L. michauxii. A. E. Radford et al. (1968) mentioned robust L. michauxii bog plants that resembled L. superbum; these are considered here as L. pyrophilum.
Discriminating between Lilium superbum and larger specimens of L. pyrophilum may require reference to several characters. The shorter, blunter, more ascending leaves of L. pyrophilum average fewer per whorl and are grouped in fewer whorls, but overlap with L. superbum is extensive. In L. pyrophilum the whorls with the largest number of leaves are often clustered nearer the ground, and distally the stem bears scattered, appressed leaves, whereas the taller L. superbum displays whorling more or less evenly along the stem, and the few scattered leaves above the whorls are not appressed. Lilium pyrophilum blooms somewhat later than L. superbum, though some overlap occurs. The floral tube of L. pyrophilum is longer because the perianth parts are reflexed farther down their lengths, but this difference is subtle.
Hybrids between Lilium michauxii and L. pyrophilum are known and often display the wide petals characteristic of the former species.
The manner and frequency of visits by ruby-throated hummingbirds [Archilochus colubris (Linnaeus), family Trochilidae] suggest that this species is involved in pollination of the Sandhills lily. The palamedes swallowtail [Papilio palamedes (Drury), family Papilionidae] also visits and pollinates this species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Lilium rubescens occurs from Santa Cruz County north through the Coast Ranges to Del Norte County, and is declining in the southern part of its range due to urbanization and over-collecting.
This is the only species in the genus in which the chromosome complement is known to consist of one pair of long metacentric chromosomes and eleven pairs of acrocentric chromosomes; all others possess two long metacentric pairs and ten shorter acrocentric pairs (M. W. Skinner 1988).
Various bee species visit the flowers during the day to collect nectar and pollen and may be the most significant pollinators. Pale swallowtails (Papilio eurymedon Lucas, family Papilionidae) also visit this lily.
The Karok used Lilium rubescens decoratively in bouquets (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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