Lilium kelleyanum

Lilium kelleyanum
(Lemmon, 1903)
Kelley’s Lily

Overview

Section: Pseudolirium (North American lilies, Section 2C – Sierra/Cascades group)
Origin: Northern Sierra Nevada of California, with extensions into the southern Cascades (Shasta and Lassen counties)
Habitat: Moist mountain meadows, seeps, and stream edges, typically between 1,200–2,400 m elevation
Type: Montane meadow lily
Status: Localized but not currently endangered; populations can be abundant in suitable high-montane wet habitats

Introduction

Lilium kelleyanum, or Kelley’s Lily, is a tall, stately mountain lily endemic to northern California’s Sierra Nevada and adjacent southern Cascade ranges. It was first described in 1903 by J.G. Lemmon from Plumas County, California. The species thrives in wet montane meadows and seepage areas, where its showy, Turk’s-cap flowers brighten the midsummer landscape. Although it has a restricted range compared to widespread relatives such as L. pardalinum, it can form striking colonies where conditions are favorable.

It has been known as, and is synonymous with, L. nevadaense, L. paradlinum var. nevadaense, L. parviflorum, L. shastense, and L. inyoense are all now subsummed under L. kellyanum.

Description

Kelley’s Lily grows from a scaly perennial bulb and produces stems ranging from 1.2 to 2.5 m (4–8 ft) tall, occasionally taller in optimal conditions. Leaves are arranged in whorls, each whorl bearing 10–20 lanceolate leaves, with additional scattered leaves higher on the stem.

The flowers are nodding, strongly recurved “Turk’s-cap” blossoms, usually borne in loose racemes of 5–20. Tepals are vivid cadmium-yellow, heavily spotted with darker purple. Stamens are long and protruding, tipped with large reddish-brown anthers, while the pistil projects beyond the perianth. The fragrance is sweet but not overpowering, attracting both butterflies and hummingbirds.

Blooming typically occurs July to early September, depending on elevation and snowmelt. Fruits are large, ribbed capsules that split to release flat seeds. Germination is by delayed hypogeal development, requiring a cold period followed by warmth before seedlings emerge.

Ecology and Habitat

L. kelleyanum is tightly associated with high-elevation wetlands and montane meadows. It prefers moist, organic-rich soils, often derived from volcanic or granitic substrates; slightly acidic. Constant seepage or high water tables, often along streams or at meadow edges where soils remain moist into late summer. The climate is snow-dominated montane climate, with heavy mountain snow and very cold winters, heavy precipitation (including 40-80 inches (100–200 cm) annual snowpack, and cool, moist summers.

Ecologically, it occupies the ecotone between wet meadow and coniferous forest, where summer sun reaches the ground but the soils stay wet. It is often found with sedges (Carex), corn lilies (Veratrum californicum), and shooting stars (Dodecatheon).

Pollination is primarily by butterflies (especially swallowtails), with hummingbirds occasionally visiting.

Phylogenetic Relationships

Genetic analyses place Lilium kelleyanum firmly within the Sierra Nevada / Cascade subgroup of Section Pseudolirium, closely related to L. pardalinum, L. parvum, and L. rubescens. Natural hybrids are known where ranges overlap, particularly with L. parvum in the northern Sierra and southern Cascades, producing intermediate forms.

Its strongly recurved Turk’s-cap flowers and whorled leaves are classic Pseudolirium traits, but molecular evidence shows that these characters evolved multiple times within the section. Douglas et al. (2011) confirmed L. kelleyanum and L. pardalinum are distinct but closely allied taxa, likely diverging relatively recently in montane California.

Conservation

Although not currently threatened at the species level, L. kelleyanum depends on intact montane meadow ecosystems, which are vulnerable to:

• Water diversion for agriculture and grazing.

• Meadow succession following fire suppression (loss of open wetland habitat).

• Climate change, which may alter snowpack and seep hydrology.

Conservation of meadow ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada indirectly protects this species. In suitable protected meadows, L. kelleyanum can form large, robust populations.