Red Canada Lily ( Lilium canadense var. editorum) Lilies in the Wild and in the Garden 15
Gray s lily ( Lilium grayi S. Watson). Distinguishing characteristics: Bell- shaped flowers, tepals flared, not recurved; red style, included anthers, range, and habitat. While the country is observing July 4th, the surviving stems of Gray s lily are celebrating one more year of flowering. Confined to a few high elevation locations in Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, Gray s lily s favorite habitat, grassy balds, is losing ground to aggressive natives such as blackberry canes. Valiant preservation efforts by various groups using innovative measures, such as grazing goats, seem to be making some headway. Other groups conduct annual flower counts to assess the extent of survival. Recognition of Gray s lily is unmistakable due to the unique bell shape of the non- fragrant flower. Slightly flared and nonprotruding anthers are also definitive features of this rare gem. 22 Part 1/Native Lilies of the Eastern United States
Regal Lily ( Lilium regale E.H. Wilson). Distinguishing Characteristics: Flowers white inside, pinkish- purple outside. Regal lily is native to China where it has a narrow range along the Min River in the northern section of Sichuan. This lily was introduced to the United States by E.H. Wilson in 1903. Since then, this lily with its beautiful flower has become one of the most popular cultivated varieties. A relatively tall stem, up to 5 feet, bears a multitude of long, narrow, linear, alternate leaves. Flowers, 6 inches long, are white inside and pinkish- purple outside with semi- reflexed flower lobes. Numerous seeds are produced, readily germinating and yielding plants that bring forth a single flower during the second or third season. Large, mature bulbs may produce plants that yield a cluster of several fragrant flowers. Regal lily has been documented growing wild in Alabama. - Lilies in the Wild and in the Garden 65
Genus Hymenocallis Salisbury, The Spider Lilies Although various other lilies may be referred to as s p i d e r l i l - ies, Hymenocallis members are all typically labeled by that common name. This genus contains about 50 species from southern portions of North America and the West Indies south to northeastern South America. There are 14 species and varieties of Hymenocallis listed in Weakley (2012). The generic name comes from a Greek word meaning beautiful membrane referring to the membrane attached to and joining the stamens. Plants are perennial herbs with straplike leaves arising from bulbs. The almost indistinguishable three petals and three sepals are spider- like, and subtend and surround the saucer- like membrane (corona) on which the stamens are borne. Two species are described below as examples. Shoals Spider Lily ( Hymenocallis coronaria) Shoals Spider Lily, Cahaba Lily ( Hymenocallis coronaria [ J. Le Conte] Kunth). This U.S. native species is placed in Amaryllidaceae. The plant occurs in southeastern Piedmont river systems at or above the Fall Line on rocky shoals. The spectacular bloom emerges at Lilies in the Wild and in the Garden 85
Japanese Cobra Lily, (Arisaema sikokianum), family Araceae, is one of a number of unusual Arisaema species commonly referred to as Japanese Cobra Lilies. (Artist illustration). illustrations by Jean C. Putnam Hancock Voodoo Lilies, (Amorphophallus spp.) family Araceae, belong to a large group of exotic plants sometimes available from nurseries. The generic name, from ancient Greek meaning misshapen phallus, reflects the shape of the flower. Some species of these unusual plants produce flowers with a carrionlike odor. (Artist illustration). 90 Part 4/Species Often Referred to as Lilies
Glory Lily (Gloriosa rothschildiana) 108 Part 4/Species Often Referred to as Lilies