Wood Lily
Lilium philadelphicum
Lily family (Liliaceae)
This lovely Lily is rare in Colorado. It grew through most of the north central and north eastern United States and much of Canada but habitat destruction and collection has reduced its numbers dangerously. It should thus be left alone if ever found. Lilium philadelphicum grows a foot or two tall and puts out a very large and graceful flower atop a slender . Grasses and other greenery make it difficult to find Lilium philadelphicum when it is not in flower, and thus searching for it almost inevitably leads to walking on it and destroying it. Linnaeus named this in 1753 and this species in 1762. "Lilium" is the Latinized version of "Leirion," the classical Greek name for this . "Philadelphicum" honors Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from which area Linnaeus must have obtained his first specimens. Meriwether Lewis and then Thomas Nuttall collected the first Western United States specimens.
©2011 RT Hawke
