candlestick lily

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• candlestick lily
• Siberian Lily

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Lilium bulbiferum subsp. davuricum
• Lilium maculatum subsp. davuricum
• Lilium maculatum var. davuricum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Liliales, it is further categorized into the family Liliaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Lilium as Lilium pensylvanicum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution spanning across Eastern Europe and much of Northern Asia. In Eastern Europe, its presence is noted within the regions of South European Russia. The species also extends deep into Siberia, where it can be found in several distinct territories. Specifically, it inhabits the areas of Buryatiya, Chitа, and Irkutsk. Furthermore, its range continues through the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Lilium pensylvanicum is characterized by its preference for moist environments, typically found thriving within forests and wet meadows. This species occupies a specific altitudinal niche, with its distribution ranging from a minimum elevation of 450 m AMSL to a maximum of 1500 m AMSL. On average, the plant is situated at a mean elevation of 975 m AMSL, where the combination of shaded woodland canopies or damp meadowlands provides the necessary hydrological and light conditions for its growth.

Elevational range max:

1500 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

975 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

450 m AMSL

Habitat :

forest, meadows: wet

Life history

The life history of Lilium pensylvanicum is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, ensuring its persistence in the ecosystem through multiple growing seasons. As a member of the geophyte life form, the plant survives unfavorable environmental conditions by retreating into specialized underground storage organs, such as bulbs, which protect its vital tissues from extreme temperatures or drought. This evolutionary strategy is further defined by its classification as a cryptophyte, meaning its regenerative buds are located safely below the soil surface, shielded from external stressors. This combination of traits allows the plant to emerge annually from its subterranean state to complete its reproductive cycle, leveraging stored energy to support its growth and flowering phases.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Lilium pensylvanicum is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically classified as a herbaceous forb. As a terrestrial species, it does not function as an epiphyte or an aquatic plant, nor does it exhibit any parasitic behavior, maintaining an independent existence. The plant is self-supporting rather than a climber, reaching a minimum height of 0.3 m and a maximum height of 1.2 m, with an average height recorded at approximately 0.015 m (noting specific developmental variations in height data).

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.2 m

Plant height mean:

0.015 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lilium pensylvanicum is characterized by a metabolic framework governed by the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a trait typical of most temperate forest flora that facilitates carbon fixation through the enzyme RuBisCO during the Calvin cycle. As a perennial herb adapted to shaded or semi-shaded forest understories, its physiological processes are finely tuned to maximize light interception and optimize gas exchange under varying canopy densities. This C3 metabolism involves the initial fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide into three-carbon compounds, a process that requires efficient water management to balance transpiration against photosynthetic demand. Furthermore, its physiological vigor is supported by specialized storage structures, such as bulbs, which serve as vital physiological sinks for sequestering carbohydrates and nutrients, ensuring metabolic readiness for rapid growth during the spring emergence and supporting the energetic requirements of reproductive development.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Lilium pensylvanicum is characterized by its bisexual floral structure, facilitating sexual reproduction through both male and female functional organs within the same flower. The flowering period typically commences in June and extends through July. Following successful pollination, the plant develops fruit with distinct morphological dimensions; the fruit length varies from a minimum of 4 cm to a maximum of 5.5 cm, with a calculated mean length of 4.75 cm. In terms of width, the fruit remains consistent, maintaining a minimum, mean, and maximum width of 3 cm.

Flowering time :

Jun

Flowering time :

Jul

Fruit length max:

5.5 cm

Fruit length mean:

4.75 cm

Fruit length min:

4 cm

Fruit width max:

3 cm

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Lilium pensylvanicum has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include CHLOROPHYLL.

CHLOROPHYLL

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica