''Lilium iridollae'' is a species of ''

Lilium ''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...

'' or lily. It is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

forb A forb or phorb is an herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically these are dicots without woo ...

. This species is considered one of five known ''Lilium'' species native to specific sites in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

' southeast region.LILIES and Related Plants
/ref> In 1940, this species was discovered by Mary Henry in its habitat. She named the lily in reference to a "pot of gold at the end of the rainbow". ''Lilium iridollae'' is the most demanding of specific conditions, that is one reason why this lily has been elusive to many enthusiasts. In general, the southeastern region of the United States is not considered "lily growing country" since it has warm winter temperatures and high

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...

which are not suitable conditions for

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

lilies.

Common names

''Lilium iridollae'' is more commonly known by these two names: pot-of-gold lily and panhandle lily. In

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, ''Lilium iridollae'' is referred by panhandle lily. In

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, ''Lilium iridollae'' is referred to as pot-of-gold lily.USDA Plants Profile
/ref>

Distribution

''Lilium iridollae'' grows along streams in wet

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (se ...

s and in

pitcher plant Pitcher plants are several different carnivorous plants which have modified leaves known as pitfall traps—a prey-trapping mechanism featuring a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. The traps of what are considered to be "true" pitcher p ...

bogs in the southeastern United States.USBG: Lilium iridollae
/ref> It is mainly found in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Virginia. This species has become

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

in Florida and

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

in North Carolina. The balance of the

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

of this endangered plant, ''Lilium iridollae'', is reliant on episodic, naturally occurring

fires Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are pr ...

caused by

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

strikes. The fires reduce competition from other plants and release nutrients and organic substance from burned

peat moss ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

and leaves into the acidic, nutrient-poor soil. ''Lilium iridollae''’s sensitivity to changes in drainage patterns and water quality make them predominantly susceptible to disturbances in its

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

. For example, they might be overgrazed by

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

and urban development in nearby areas.

Description

The flower stalk may grow to be 6 feet tall, but more often they are a foot or two shorter. The individual flower stalks only create one solitary flower that hangs downward from the stem.Native Florida Wildflowers
/ref> Each flower is about 3-4 inches wide. The colors of the flowers ranges from a pale yellow to a rich orange. The

petals Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usually ...

on the flower are recurved that causes them to touch each other over the back of the stem while the

stamens 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 ...

and the stigma hang downward in the open space. In addition, the petals also have heavy brownish-black spots. The flowers are non-fragrant.

Pollination

''Lilium iridollae'' and many other related species are

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...

mostly by large swallowtail butterflies. In addition, this plant is also attractive to bees and/or birds. When pollination occurs, a large seed capsule ultimately develops that can contain many hundreds of seeds.

Growth and reproduction

''Lilium iridollae'' are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

and they return to its bulb stage in late fall. Near early spring, brand new leaves form and they develop into a

basal rosette In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves or of structures resembling leaves. In flowering plants, rosettes usually sit near the soil. Their structure is an example of a modified stem in which the internode gaps between the lea ...

immediately. In late spring, the basic rosette begins to elongate. Then by mid- to late-July they being to flower. Seed is light brown and delayed-hypogeal without stratification in 1–2 months. There are often situations where Native lilies neglect to flower if the conditions are not right. In that case, they might spend years appearing each spring as a basal rosette of leaves. In addition, young plants, in optimal conditions, take more than two years to develop into a flower from a seed because they mature at a slow pace.

Similar or related rare species

''Lilium iridollae'' is closely related to '' Lilium superbum'' or referred by common names such as Turk’s Cap Lily, Turban Lily, Swamp lily or American Tiger Lily. ''Lilium superbum'' has dark orange, non-fragrant flowers with purple spots. It has leaves in 6 - 10 whorls on a 6 - foot stem.Florida Natural Areas Inventory
'' Lilium michauxii'' or Carolina Lily is another species similar to ''Lilium iridollae''. ''Lilium michauxii'' has flowers that resemble flowers of Turk’s Cap Lily, but the differences are that the flowers are fragrant and the stem is only 2 – 3 feet tall. In addition, the leaves are broadly lance-shaped.

Protection and management

Since ''Lilium iridollae'' has become an endangered and threatened species there are ways to protect and manage them. One way is to protect streams from

siltation Siltation, is water pollution caused by particulate Terrestrial ecoregion, terrestrial Clastic rock, clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the ...

sedimentation Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the ...

during logging and

road construction A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

. In addition, avoid logging on slope forests. Furthermore, avoid draining and filling wetlands. Since wildfires benefit ''Lilium iridollae'', we should avoid placing

firebreak A firebreak or double track (also called a fire line, fuel break, fireroad and firetrail in Australia) is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. A firebre ...

s in ecotones. The wildfires should be allowed to burn into edges of streamside forests. Lastly, eradicate

feral hogs The feral pig is a domestic pig which has gone feral, meaning it lives in the wild. They are found mostly in the Americas and Australia. Razorback and wild hog are Americanisms applied to feral pigs or boar-pig hybrids. Definition A feral p ...

because they can be harmful.

Gallery

Image:LiliumKelleyanum1.jpg, ''Lilium iridollae'' Image:Iridollae.jpg, ''Lilium iridollae''

References

External links

*http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101733 *http://www.rhslilygroup.org/RHS_LilyYrbk_1512.pdf *http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=41599&flora_id=1 {{Taxonbar, from=Q1825074 iridollae Flora of the Eastern United States