Lilies, anyone?

[Hoy]

Gene, you are showing some really beautiful lilies! I particularly liked grayi and kelloggi!

[Gene Mirro]

A giant martagon (or is it a hybrid?) :



It's over 6 feet tall.  It came to me in a packet of seed labelled L. mackliniae.

A nice stem of lankongense:

[RickR]

What an elegant form of L. lankongense, Gene.
  I grow a different type, with a more rigid and narrower growth pattern.

        

[Gene Mirro]

I can grow them, but I am not good at ID.  So feel free to let me know if my plants are not identified correctly. 

[RickR]

In fact I used to have that graceful form, procured after the type I posted photos of previously.  Unless it is a very close hybrid, it is indeed L. lankongense.  The one I grew like that came from a big commercial seller like Jung or some such.  It bloomed wonderfully, but declined yearly, and lasted only 4 or 5 years.   With a raceme(lankongense) instead of an umbel(wardii and duchartrei) arrangement, I don't think it can be anything else.  Leaves are slightly different, with leaf arrangement far more sparse with ductartrei.  The Flora of China has an unusually good collect of photo links of duchartrei: http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027714

Lilium lankongense foliage.  Leaves have 5-7 strong veins.
          

Lilium duchartrei foliage. Leaves have 3-5 veins, less apparent.
                 

[Gene Mirro]

Lilium medeoloides:



Cardiocrinum giganteum (with Tropaeolum speciosum on left):

[RickR]

I really like the growth pattern of your L. medeoloides, Gene.  Both the foliage and the inflorescence.   It seems very refined and even noble, to me.

the cardiocrinum ain't too shabby, either!

[RickR]

Forgot to say, Tony, how wonderful those Lilium martagon ssp. cattaniae look.  
  I hope mine do just as well!

When I dug these bulbs 2 years ago, I was surprised that they were so large and hefty: more like a hybrid than a species.  But they sure didn't like being moved; the next year, there was no bloom, and growth was small, though very healthy.  Back to maturity, now...
The Flora of China doesn't recognize Lilium majoense, and the closest is certainly Lilium primulinum or Lilium nepalense according to the FoC.  There must be a lot of variation in the species.
        

               

From my seed planted in 2008, Lilium michiganense is in bloom.
        

        

[IMYoung]

Gene, I like your approach to liming - sounds like the practical approach to recipes used  by the best cooks!

[RickR]

Again, Lilium duchartrei.  This one has a noticeable green base and green tips when in bud, similar to Lilium monadelphum and its maroon coloring.  I used to have a L. duchartrei with maroonish-brown base and tips, but it mysteriously disappeared.  That one was most excellent.  Isn't it funny how your most cherished tend to be the most difficult...
          

Lilium leichtlinii.  Bulbs from the Species Lily Preservation Group.  The black stem is very evident, but unfortunately the coloring is not as showy in the inflorescence.  
        

A quite unique inflorescence structure.
              

Lilium maculatum  var. wilsonii.  This species has very lustrous, thick leaves, and so has been used frequently in breeding.
        

[RickR]

I crossed Lilium leichtlinii with Lilium maculatum var. wilsonii.  I had two first blooms last year.  As would be expected, there is not a whole lot of variation in this primary cross.  When lilies bloom with only one flower, as these, the aspect (the angle at which the flower is held) is not always the same as when there are multiple flowers in an inflorescence.     
  #1     #2

I don't think I have had any lily that is so vigorous.  This year, #1 shown above has 15 flowers (including 4 secondaries)!  #2 has 9!
            #1

[Gene Mirro]

Nice stems of michiganense.  I can grow them here, but they won't set seed, even with hand pollination.  Maybe it has something to do with temperature. 

[Tony Willis]

Rick

the Lilium majoense is very similar to L. poilanei which I grow.

Also here is a picture of L. michiganense growing by a river at Kleinburg Ontario ten days ago

[RickR]

I did consider L. poilanei, but at the time I thought it was native only to the southeast Asian peninsula.  No way would it be winter hardy here in zone 4!  In fact years ago, I passed on an offer of seed of the species because of that.  Now I see it is native in Yunnan also.  And foliage seems most similar to L. poilanei.  Definitely three veined, thick and waxy.  It was more thick and waxy when I grew it in full sun, but it seems more happy here in open shade.  So maybe...

        

Not too common for L. michiganense to have a tiered inflorescence.  It must be doing very well.  I meant to ask you, what is that twining thing on it?

[Tony Willis]

Rick

I cannot help with the twining thing. The lily was growing just above the waterline on a small river in the grounds surrounding the McMichael art gallery and was taken with the zoom from about 50 feet away.