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- Lilium philadelphicum
Lilium philadelphicum — wood lily
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Wood lily is North America's most wide ranging true lily, but it has been declining in the northeast as prairie habitat has disappeared, and as populations of white-tailed deer, that favor it as food, have increased. In New England it is pollinated by tiger swallowtail butterflies.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), grassland, sandplains and barrens, woodlands
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf arrangement
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Leaf blade length
- 29–102 mm
- Flower petal color
-
- orange
- pink to red
- yellow
- Flower petal length
- 45–77 mm
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is an umbel (with an axis so short it appears the flowers all originate from the same point)
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Fruit length
- 22–77 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Axillary bulblets
- there are no bulblets being produced in axils
-
Flowers
- Anther attachment
- the anther is attached at its midpoint to the filament
- Anther color
- there is a noticeable pink, reddish or purplish tint to the anthers
- Anther length
- 5–12 mm
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused (the number of carpels equals the number of locules)
- Flower bracts
- there are bracts associated with the flower
- Flower number
- 1–6
- Flower orientation
- the flowers point upward or spread or curve outward
- Flower petal color
-
- orange
- pink to red
- yellow
- Flower petal length
- 45–77 mm
- Flower shape
- the flower is bell-shaped
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Form of style
- the style is lobed at the tip, and unbranched
- Fringed petal edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Hairs on flower stalk
- the flower stalk has no hairs on it
- Inflorescence hair glands
- the axis of the inflorescence has no hairs on it
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is an umbel (with an axis so short it appears the flowers all originate from the same point)
- Length of flower stalk
- 25–105 mm
- Marks on petals
- the petals have spots or streaks on them
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 3
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals and/or petals
- there are six petals, sepals or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal base
- the petal narrows abruptly at the base
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Petal hairs on inner/upper surface
- there are no hairs on the inner/upper petal surface
- Petal nectaries
- there are nectaries at the petal bases
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble petals in color and texture
- Sepal length
- 49–82 mm
- Sepal orientation
- the sepals are curved outwards and downwards
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spathe
- the plant does not have a spathe
- Spathe form
- NA
- Stamen number
- 6
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamen types
- the stamens within a cycle are all similar
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not fused to one another
- Stamens fused outwards
- the stamens are not fused to the petals or tepals
- Style petal-like
- the style is not broad and flattened like a petal
- Tepals
- the petals and sepals are similar in size and color
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule ridges
- there are no ribs or wings on the capsule
- Fruit compartments
- there are three locules in the fruit
- Fruit cross-section
-
- the fruit is at least somewhat flattened
- the fruit is round in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 22–77 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Fruit width
- 10–18 mm
- Other markings on berry
- NA
-
Glands or sap
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Root septa
- the roots do not have transverse septa
- Underground organs
-
- the plant has one or more swollen storage organs underground, such as bulbs, tubers or corms
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade basal lobes
- the leaf blades do not have basal lobes
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has no stalk
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section
- Leaf blade faces
- both surfaces of the leaf blade are exposed
- Leaf blade form
- Fully-formed (i.e., expanded), +/- green leaf blades are found somewhere on the plant
- Leaf blade length
- 29–102 mm
- Leaf blade orientation
- the upper surface of the leaf blade faces the stem of the plant
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf blade tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate (tapers to a long, thin point)
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- Leaf blade veins
- the lateral veins are parallel or slightly arched in the direction of the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 3–23 mm
- Leaf stalk length
- 0 mm
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Stipule twining
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on this plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- grasslands
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- sandplains or barrens
- woodlands
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the leaves have no particular smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem growth form
- the flowering stem is held upright
- Flowering stem leaves
- there is at least one fully-formed leaf on the flowering stem
- Stem hairs
- the stem is nearly or completely hairless
Wetland status
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
- Rhode Island
- rare (S-rank: S2), concern (code: C)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
3. Lilium philadelphicum L. N
wood lily. CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Woodlands, sandplains, dry powerline rights-of-way, grasslands.