''Lilium chalcedonicum'' is a European species of Liriotypus lily, native to Tuscany, Greece and Albania.

Classification

The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 on Mount Chalcedon in Thessaly, under its current name. Ιn addition to the genus of the same name, the varieties ''Lilium chalcedonicum'' var. ''maculatum'', which bore denser flowers, and ''Lilium chalcedonicum'' var. ''heldreichii'', which always produces only one flower, with base leaves wider and upper leaves very small, were named.Feldmaier & McRae, 1982 However, these two varieties are no longer recognized.Arne Strid, 2007 This species hybridizes with ''Lilium candidum'', creating ''Lilium x testaceum.''

Characteristics & Appearance

It is a perennial,

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

plant, which can usually reach a height of 35-70 centimeters, but in some cases it can reach up to 1.5 meters. The bulb is yellowish-white and wide. The stem is green and covered entirely by lanceolate-serrate leaves, slightly twisted. The lower leaves are horizontal, 5–15 cm long and 4–8 cm wide. The upper ones are smaller, rather upright, and cover the stem.Σφήκας, σ. 77-78 The flowers are red, up to 10 cm long, borne all together at the top of the stem. They can be from 1 to 6 in number, but as many as 12 when cultivated in good,

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

-rich soil in somewhat damp, shady places. They face downwards and the petals turn backwards. They bear a heavy scent, with orange

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

and stamens that protrude from the perianth. The flowers appear rather late, usually July.

Distribution & Habitat

It is native to the Balkans but it can also be found in Tuscany. In the Balkans, it spreads from southern Albania across much of mainland Greece, as well as on the islands of the

Ionian sea The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including C ...

and Aegean sea. It thrives in cool areas, mainly in glades of deciduous and boxwood forests of mountainous regions as well as meadows on calcareous, rocky soils at an altitude of 600–1700 meters. This species highly resents being moved, probably the main reason it is rarely seen in commerce.

Culture & Symbolism

Its earliest known depiction is in a

Minoan The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands, whose earliest beginnings were from 3500BC, with the complex urban civilization beginning around 2000BC, and then declining from 1450B ...

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

dating back 3,500 years to the Bronze Age, discovered on the Aegean coast on the island of

Santorini Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...

, which was buried by a volcano with the

Minoan eruption The Minoan eruption was a catastrophic Types of volcanic eruptions, volcanic eruption that devastated the Aegean Islands, Aegean island of Thera (also called Santorini) circa 1600 BCE. It destroyed the Minoan civilization, Minoan settlement at ...

. Because of its striking appearance it has been cultivated since at least the 16th century. It was supposedly introduced to Europe by Master Harbran from Istanbul in 1597. Due to its resemblance to a turban, it is sometimes referred to as ''the Turk,'' however it should not be confused with the similar North American lily ''

Lilium superbum ''Lilium superbum'' is a species of true lily native to the eastern and central regions of North America. Common names include Turk's cap lily, turban lily, swamp lily, lily royal, or American tiger lily. The native range of the species extends ...

.'' In the

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

language of flowers, lilies portray love, ardor, and affection for your loved ones, while orange lilies stand for happiness, love, and warmth.

References

Bibliography

* Σφήκας Γιώργος, ''Αγριολούλουδα της Ελλάδας'', EFSTATHIADIS GROUP A.E., Αθήνα, 1999. ISBN 960-226-062-9 * Arne Strid: ''The lilies of Greece.'' In: Caroline Boisset (Hrsg.): ''Lilies And Related Plants'', 2007, S. 18–26, ISBN 978-1-902896-84-7 * Carl Feldmaier, Judith McRae: ''Lilien.'' Ulmer, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-8001-6121-4 * {{Taxonbar, from=Q262470 chalcedonicum Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus