Lilium superbum

Turk's cap lily
Lilium superbum in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Liliaceae
Genus: Lilium
Species: L. superbum
Binomial name
Lilium superbum
L. 1753 not Thunb. 1784
Synonyms[1]
  • Lilium fortunofulgidum Roane & J.N.Henry
  • Lilium gazarubrum Roane & J.N.Henry
  • Lilium mary-henryae Roane & J.N.Henry

Lilium superbum is a species of true lily native to the eastern and central regions of North America.[2][3][4] Common names include Turk's cap lily,[2] turban lily, swamp lily,[5] lily royal,[5] or American tiger lily.[3] The native range of the species extends from New Hampshire south to the Florida Panhandle and west to Missouri and Arkansas.[2][6]

Description

Lilium superbum grows from 3–7 feet (0.91–2.13 m) high with typically three to seven blooms, but exceptional specimens have been observed with up to 40 flowers on each stem.[3] It is capable of growing in wet conditions.[7] It is fairly variable in size, form, and color.[3] The color is known to range from a deep yellow to orange to a reddish-orange "flame" coloring with reddish petal tips.[3] The flowers have a green star at their center that can be used to distinguish L. superbum from the Asiatic "tigerlilies" that frequently escape from cultivation.[4]

Uses

The roots were a food source for Native Americans, and the flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and larger insects.[8]

Status

It is listed as endangered in Florida and New Hampshire, threatened in Kentucky, and exploitably vulnerable in New York.[2]

Etymology

The common name is derived from the reflexed shape of the flower petals, which presumably resemble a type of hat worn by early Turkish people.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 United States Department of Agriculture plants profile
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Blanchan, Neltje (2005). Wild Flowers Worth Knowing. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Connecticut Botanical Society
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "USDA GRIN Taxonomy". Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  7. ↑ Synge, Patrick M. Collins Guide to Bulbs. (1961)
  8. ↑ Illinois Wildflowers
  9. ↑ Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center, University of Texas
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