''Lilium humboldtii'', or Humboldt's lily, is a species of lily native to the US state of California and the Mexican state of

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

. It is named after naturalist and explorer

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, ...

. It is native to the South High

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

, High

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

, south Outer South Coast Ranges, and the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...

and others in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ag ...

, growing at elevations from to .

Description

''Lilium humboldtii'' grows up to tall, with flowers that are maroon-spotted, golden-orange with dark red splotches, with orange to brown

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s. The plant flowers in June, with flowers growing in a pyramidal inflorescence. The flowers are on stout stems, which are sometimes brown-purple. The subrhizomatous bulb is large, with yellowish-white scales, and grows very deep in the soil. The leaves grow in whorls, and are undulate, shiny, and oblanceolate. It is summer-deciduous, dying back after flowering in mid- to late summer. ;

Subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

*''Lilium humboldtii'' subsp. ''humboldtii'' - central California *''Lilium humboldtii'' subsp. ''ocellatum'' - southern California, Baja California Both subspecies are on the

California Native Plant Society The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a California environmental non-profit organization (501(c)3) that seeks to increase understanding of California's native flora and to preserve it for future generations. The mission of CNPS is to con ...

Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California The ''CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California'' is a botanical online database providing information on rare, threatened, and endangered California native plants. It is sponsored by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) ...

'' and described as "fairly endangered in California".

Albert Kellogg Albert Kellogg (December 6, 1813 – March 31, 1887 ) was an American physician and the first resident botanist of California. He was a founding member of the California Academy of Sciences and served as its first curator of botany. Kellogg was a ...

, unaware that the plant had already been named by Roezl and Leichtlin, gave it the name ''Lilium bloomerianum''. For some time afterward, the name was still applied to the southern California ''Lilium humboldtii'' subsp. ''ocellatum''.

Cultivation

''Lilium humboldtii'' is sold as a garden bulb. It prefers dry summer dormancy, with no water after blooming, good drainage, and part shade. It was one of the parents, along with ''

Lilium pardalinum ''Lilium pardalinum'', also known as the leopard lily or panther lily, is a flowering bulbous perennial plant in the lily family, native to Oregon, California, and Baja California. It usually grows in damp areas. Its range includes California ...

'', that produced the Bellingham hybrid lilies, which eventually resulted in the popular 'Shuksan' and 'Star of Oregon' lilies.

References

*Harlow, Nora, Jakob, Kristin, and Raiche, Roger (2003) "Wild Lilies, Irises, and Grasses". University of California Press.

External links

USDA Plants Profile: ''Lilium humboldtii''Treatment from the Jepson Manual - ''Lilium humboldtii''CalFlora Taxon Report: ''Lilium humboldtii''''Lilium humboldtii'' - CalPhotos galleryiucnredlist
{{Taxonbar, from=Q149248 humboldtii Flora of California Flora of Baja California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Garden plants of North America Drought-tolerant plants Flora without expected TNC conservation status