Lilium bulbiferum

Lilium bulbiferum var croceum on Sandacker

The Fire Lily (Lilium bulbiferum ) is a plant of the genus Lilium (Lilium ) in the section Liriotypus ( Candidum section). The plant is common in European mountains of the Pyrenees over Central Europe to the Balkans and Transylvania.

Description

The Fire Lily is a perennial, herbaceous plant, the plant height between 20 and 90, rarely up to 120 centimeters reached. The white onion is ovoid, their scales are broad and pointed. The plant forms from the spring of a red or black spotted, at the top of woolly hairy, erect stem. The fact arranged alternate, linear - lanceolate to linealischen leaves are up to 10 inches long, shorter leaves remain higher in the lower part.

May-July appear in a flat doldigen inflorescence one to five flowers with short-haired or bald flower stems. The hermaphrodite, threefold and scentless flowers six upright bracts ( tepals ), the outer slightly narrower than the inner ones. You can reach four to six centimeters in length, are bright red or yellow-red, and dark brown on the upper side, hairy papillae. The nectar groove is ciliate. The stamens are about half as long as the tepals, the anthers red, the pen is a little longer than the stamens.

Are formed upside - ovate, about four inches long, blunt-edged capsule fruits. The seed of the fire - lilies germinate delayed - hypogeous. The chromosome number is 2n = 24

Ecology

Among the otherwise strongly fragrant species of the genus Lilium the fire - lily is a fragrant loose exception. The plant is pollinated by butterflies that sit on one of the bloom. Is the bloom arranged obliquely erect, the insect is on the Blütenhüllblatt respective lower. At the base of tepals runs a nectar groove, in which the visitor introduces the trunk and so reach the nectar.

A characteristic of the type is that it attracts through primitive nectaries at the tips of the leaves and young flower buds of the tepals ants of the genus Myrmica, Lasius and Formica. This may help to protect against predators such as the lilies chicken.

Dissemination

The Fire Lily is Europe's most widespread wild lily. The plant is widespread in the mountains of southern and central Europe rarer of the Pyrenees, Corsica and the Apennines to the northern Balkans. In the northern edge of the Alps rare in the Southern Alps scattered edge. In places, such as in the Dolomites, it is often encountered. In Austria, the fire lily comes as Actual fire lily ( Lilium bulbiferum var bulbiferum ) scattered to rare in all provinces except Vienna and possibly in Burgenland. She is here partly under nature protection.

On arable land the species as Lilium bulbiferum var croceum to Northwest Germany (North Rhine -Westphalia, Lower Saxony) and parts of the Netherlands ( provinces of Groningen and Drenthe) is common. These stocks are extremely decreased and are threatened as strong. Most likely they are introduced, the earthiness outside the Alps is controversial. Naturalises it also happens in Scandinavia.

Locations and plant sociology

The plant grows in mountain meadows, swards, rocks and bushes edges of the level to about 2400 meters height ( colline to sub-alpine altitude level ). The tiger lily preferably calcareous soils in warm and sunny locations, but also grows on a slightly acidic soils.

It is characteristic species of the association Bupleuro longifolii - Laserpitietum latifolii, but the main reserves are found in association mountain yellow oat meadows ( Polygono - Trisetion ) and in order Alpine Blue Grass Lawn ( Seslerietalia albicantis ).

System

The epithet of the species refers to the ability of Nominatunterart to train Achselbulben for the propagation and goes back to vorlinneische times, it finds it already in Caspar ileocecal in his Pinax theatri botanici of 1623rd

In Combers classical classification of the genus of 1949, the Fire Lily was provided to the Caucasus lilies of the section Liriotypus. The decisive factors were not alone in morphological, but also geographical aspects. However, molecular genetic studies underpinned the suspected inter alia by Stephen Haw close relationship with Lilium pensylvanicum ( with the Fire Lily also can hybridize ) and, further, with Lilium maculatum. Among the other species of section Liriotypus however, is no closer relationship.

In the literature, two subspecies are distinguished:

• Actual Fire Lily, Meadow fire lily ( Lilium bulbiferum var bulbiferum ). The nominate bears in the upper leaf axils brood nodules ( bulbils ) that can mature and fall to the ground from which arise flowering size in two to three years onions. The flowers are dark brown spots, the fruit capsule blunt -edged. It operates primarily in the Eastern Alps of the montane to subalpine altitudinal zone.

• Krokus - Fire Lily, field fire lily ( Lilium bulbiferum var croceum ). Carries rarely brood nodules. The flowers are black spots, the fruit capsule sharp. Represented, particularly in the Southwest and Western Alps from the hill and subalpine altitudinal zone. Compared to the nominate form is more common.

The varieties especially in older literature sometimes referred var chaixii ( smaller form of the Maritime Alps, up to 50 cm ) or var giganteum ( giant- form from the Naples area, up to 180 cm) are now largely no longer recognized.

Close-up of var croceum

Meaning, history, culture

Since the Fire Lily is the only naturally occurring in the Netherlands Lily, she was spread as a motif in painting Flemish- Dutch, the herb book authors of the 16th century have shown the " Philosophy gilg ". The Fire Lily is also mentioned in the poem, meaning noise of Else Lasker-Schüler. Today it is popular as a robust garden plant.

The species forms of stem roots and should be planted 10-15 cm deep. It tolerates both acidic and calcareous soils and, unlike most other species, even clay. Since they formed abundant breeding onion, they should be divided every 3-4 years.

There are intersections with Lilium umbellatum, the very similar Lilium maculatum and Lilium davidii wilmottiae, and came into his line of ancestors of most Asian lilies.

Ethnobotany

In Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the following common names were, among others, use: mountain Ilga, Donner Flower, Thunder Rose, Fanzognia, field lily, Fiur di San Giuan, Füür - Ilga, Yellow Gilgen, Gold Rose, Machoja, red Ilgä, Steirose, Tulipana, Wild Gilgen.

The tiger lily is part of the so-called " Midsummer tuft ". This is thrown into a bonfire to keep storm. The plant is said because of the bright red color that attracts lightning, so they should not be brought into the house.

Evidence

• Xaver Finkenzeller: Alpine Flowers, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-576-11482-3.