Lilium parryi

S. Watson

Proc. Davenport Acad. Nat. Sci. 2: 188. 1878.

Common names: Lemon lily
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Lilium parryi var. kessleri A. Davidson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 191. Mentioned on page 176, 181, 183, 190, 192.

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. Stems to 1.9 m. 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. Inflorescences racemose, 1–31-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 orangebrown; pistil 5.3–9.3 cm; ovary 1.6–2.9 cm; style green, often pale; pedicel 2–17.5 cm. Capsules 3.9–5.9 × 1.1–1.7 cm, 2.5–4.4 times longer than wide. Seeds 141–303.2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering summer (late May–early Sep).
Habitat: Meadows, streams, and willow (Salix spp.) thickets in mixed conifer forests
Elevation: 1300–2600 m

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broad" is not a number."wide" is not a number."thicker" is not a number."elongating" is not a number."wide" is not a number.

... more about "Lilium parryi"
pale magenta-brown +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
obtuse +  and acute +
Mark W. Skinner +
S. Watson +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
visible +, exposed +  and hidden +
loculicidal +
dilated +
constricted +
reticulate-veined +  and parallel-veined +
paler +  and green and somewhat lighter +
lanceolate +, obovate +  and linear +
rounded +
unbranched +  and rhizomatous +
stained brown +, purplish +, yellowish +  and whitish +
0.2-0.6 times taller than long +
1.5cm +  and 4.7cm +
slanted +  and erect +
chunky +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (11 cm110 mm <br />0.11 m <br />) +
3.9 cm39 mm <br />0.039 m <br /> (5.9 cm59 mm <br />0.059 m <br />) +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
Lemon lily +
Ariz. +  and Calif. +
1300–2600 m +
translucent +, pale green +  and variable +
diverging +  and spreading +
connate-coroniform +  and dilated +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
diverging +  and spreading +
fragrant +
nodding +  and horizontal +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
winged +, 3-valved +  and capsular +
brown;green +
indehiscent +, septicidal +  and loculicidal +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (7.7 cm77 mm <br />0.077 m <br />) +
oblong-obovate +
membranaceous +  and leathery +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (3.3 cm33 mm <br />0.033 m <br />) +
Meadows, streams, and willow (Salix spp.) thickets in mixed conifer forests +
persistent +
papillose +  and smooth +
not undulate +
1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br /> (2.9 cm29 mm <br />0.029 m <br />) +
not articulate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (17.5 cm175 mm <br />0.175 m <br />) +
zygomorphic +  and actinomorphic +
campanulate +
maroon spots +  and bright-yellow +
distinct +
7.8cm;10.6cm +
differentiated +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br />) +
Flowering summer (late May–early Sep). +
oblong +  and 3-lobed +
5.3 cm53 mm <br />0.053 m <br /> (9.3 cm93 mm <br />0.093 m <br />) +
orangebrown +  and rust-orange +
Proc. Davenport Acad. Nat. Sci. +
wrinkled +
thinner +  and thick +
(1-)2(-4)-segmented +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (3.7 cm37 mm <br />0.037 m <br />) +
starchy +  and fleshy +
abscission +
light-brown +
141 +  and 303 +
verrucose +
wedge +  and flattened +
maroon spots +  and bright-yellow +
distinct +
oblanceolate +, ridged +  and clawed +
differentiated +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
adnate +  and free +
glabrous +  and glaucous +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (190 cm1,900 mm <br />1.9 m <br />) +
1 +  and several +
pale +  and green +
3 +  and 1 +
Lilium parryi var. kessleri +
Lilium parryi +
species +
connate +  and distinct +
ascending +, drooping +  and horizontal +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
1 +  and 5 +