Lilium superbum
Lilium parvum
Turk's-cap lily
alpine lily, Sierra tiger lily
rhizomatous, often branching dichotomously at 120° from main axis, 2.4–4.3 × 6–10.2 cm, 0.2–0.6 times taller than long, 2(–3) years’ growth evident as annual bulbs, the scaleless sections between these 0.6–3.8(–4.6) cm;
scales 1–2-segmented (if 2-segmented, often only on inner scales), longest 1.2–3.9 cm;
stem roots present or absent.
rhizomatous, unbranched, continuously scaly, 1.4–3.5 × 3.3–9.2 cm, 0.3–0.5 times taller than long;
scales (1–)2–3(–4)-segmented, longest 1.1–3.4 cm;
stem roots absent.
1.2–2.8 m. Buds ± triangular in cross section.
to 1.7 m. Buds rounded in cross section.
usually ± evenly distributed along stem, in 6–24 whorls or partial whorls, 3–20 leaves per whorl, usually ± horizontal and drooping at tips, distal leaves ascending in sun, 7.1–26.1 × 0.7–2.7 cm, 4–18 times longer than wide;
blade narrowly elliptic, sometimes extremely so, occasionally barely oblanceolate, margins not undulate, apex acute, acuminate in distal leaves;
veins and margins ± smooth abaxially.
in 2–5 whorls or partial whorls, 3–13 leaves per whorl, ± horizontal and drooping at tips or ascending in sun, 4–15.1 × 0.5–4.4 cm, 2.3–10.8 times longer than wide;
blade ± elliptic, margins not undulate, apex acute, often narrowly so;
veins and margins ± smooth abaxially.
racemose, 1–22-flowered.
racemose, 1–26(–41)-flowered.
pendent, not fragrant;
perianth Turk’s-cap-shaped;
sepals and petals reflexed less than 1/5 along length from base, yellow or sometimes yellow-orange proximally, red-orange or sometimes red, red-purple, orange, or yellow barely suffused with red distally, spotted magenta, not distinctly clawed, nectaries exposed, forming visible green star;
sepals with 2 parallel, often faint abaxial ridges, 6.8–10.5 × 1.1–2.1 cm;
petals 7–10.2 × 1.4–2.6 cm;
stamens strongly exserted;
filaments parallel along much or most of length, then widely spreading, diverging (7°–)11°–30° from axis;
anthers magenta, occasionally purple or dull purple, 1.4–2.6 cm;
pollen rust;
pistil 4.7–8.2 cm;
ovary 1.5–3.4 cm;
style pale green, often spotted purple;
pedicel 7.4–19.1 cm.
± horizontal to ascending, sometimes slightly bilaterally symmetric, not fragrant;
perianth ± funnelform;
sepals and petals somewhat recurved 3/5–2/3 along length from base, not strongly reflexed, lower often less recurved than upper and forming landing platform, orange or yellowish proximally, darker (light orange, orange, red-orange, red, or rarely ± pinkish) on distal 2/5, occasionally uniformly light orange or rarely yellow, spotted dark purple-brown or maroon, often pale abaxially, not distinctly clawed;
sepals not ridged abaxially, noticeably wider than petals, 3.2–4.2 × 0.8–1.3 cm;
petals 3.2–4.2 × 0.6–1.2 cm;
stamens moderately exserted;
filaments moderately spreading, diverging 8°–17° from axis;
anthers pale yellow, orangish, or magenta, 0.3–0.8 cm;
pollen yellowish to red-orange;
pistil 2.3–3.7 cm;
ovary 0.8–1.4 cm;
style pale green;
pedicel 3.5–15.5 cm.
2.9–6.2 × 1.7–2.5 cm, 1.7–3.3 times longer than wide.
1.6–2.7 × 1.2–1.8 cm, 1.2–1.9 times longer than wide.
not counted.
90–132.
= 24.
= 24.
Lilium superbum
Lilium parvum
The largest Lilium east of the Rocky Mountains and the commonest over most of its range, the Turk’s-cap lily is a familiar sight throughout much of the southern Appalachians and along the northern Atlantic coastal plain. Flowers are rather variable; those in the north are sometimes floridly colored with dark purple bases on the perianth parts. The single report from Vermont (F. C. Seymour 1993) remains unconfirmed; however, recent collections from Washington Parish in Louisiana, Perry County in Missouri, and Bamberg County in the coastal plain of South Carolina extend the range of this species.
Lilium superbum shares distinctive features with L. michauxii, L. pyrophilum, and L. iridollae that indicate a close relationship and are diagnostically useful, namely paired ridges on the backs of the sepals and buds that are triangular in cross section. None has the red style characteristic of the other eastern pendent lily clade (L. michiganense, L. canadense, and L. grayi) centered to the northwest, and only L. iridollae sometimes has the leaf margins and veins roughened abaxially as is characteristic of L. canadense and its close relatives.
Common inheritance of a suite of unique, derived features and peripheral allopatric distributions suggest that Lilium pyrophilum and L. iridollae may be geographical isolates of broadly distributed L. superbum ancestral stock; both restricted species occur in specialized wetland habitats. Geography aside, the three are unequivocally distinguished only by various combinations of leaf and bulb characteristics, flower color, habitat, and blooming time. However, the overall degree of separation is comparable to that between many other species in the genus. Lilium superbum blooms the earliest, is the largest, and has the most numerous and largest flowers, and the long, narrow leaves in many whorls are distinctive. Lilium michauxii overlaps in range with these three species but is easily separated morphologically and ecologically.
Lilium superbum is pollinated primarily by the swallowtail butterflies that are common within its range, among them the spicebush (Papilio troilus Linnaeus, family Papilionidae), pipevine (Battus philenor Linnaeus), and eastern tiger (Papilio glaucus Linnaeus). Great spangled fritillaries [Speyeria cybele (Fabricius), family Nymphalidae] also visit the Turk’s-cap lily (R. M. Adams and W. J. Dress 1982).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
At the lower elevations within its range, Lilium parvum tends to have clear yellow-orange flowers—a form that has been recognized as L. parvum var. crocatum—but perianth parts are redder apically at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada. The pink-flowered form that is apparently localized at lower elevations in El Dorado County, California, is referred to informally as the ditch lily (O. H. Ballantyne 1983).
Lilium parvum hybridizes sporadically with L. pardalinum subsp. pardalinum at middle elevations (ca. 1200–1500 m) in the Sierra Nevada, resulting in variable swarms of plants with flowers that are intermediate in orientation, size, and perianth recurvature. Hybrids with Lilium kelleyanum are discussed under that species.
Lilium parvum is a pollination generalist visited by several species of hummingbirds (family Trochilidae), western tiger swallowtails (Papilio rutulus Lucas, family Papilionidae), pale swallowtails (P. eurymedon Lucas), and various bees (mostly family Apidae).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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