Unknown lilium

[Bjarne]

Does anybody know the name? The lilium is from Chen Yi

[rob krejzl]

Bjarne,

L. primulinum.

[gote]

This is a lily that CY has sent out under nepalense var.  I prefer to call it nepalense or preferably ochraceum. It fits the decription of ochraceum very well. The problem here is that the lumpers have put nepalense, ochraceum and primulinum in the same box.
I have the impression that primulinum is very much weaker with thinner stems and less recurved tepals. Primulinum usually has white bulb whereas this one has a larger reddish one.
A picture of the whole plant would be helpful
Göte

[rob krejzl]

Göte,

Where would you place majoense?

[Bjarne]

Thanks for your comment  Here is one more picture

[Lesley Cox]

According to somewhere I read recently, L. primulinum v. ochraceum is a synonym of L. majoense. John Humphries could say something about it, if he's lurking.

[gote]

I have not succeded in growing majoense so I have no first hand experience. John kindly sent me some seeds that germinated very well but were killed the first winter. I conclude that majoense is less hardy than the one we are now talking about. I asume that majoense is a close relative but it differs seemingly by having a very long perianth tube. Ochraceum has not.
The picture shows a more robust lily than primulinum - it looks more than ochraceum.  (I should add the auctor in which case i get off by not calling it nepalense v ocraceum but I do not have the time to look it up)
Göte

[Susan Band]

Just to add a bit more confusion, here are a couple more lilies along the same line. Lily2 flowers in July, lily1 flowers in August well after the form of nepalense that is well known. I am not too bothered about the names as neither have come up this year I think the bulbs of the second one are still there so there is hope.

[gote]

A few of these have a tendency of popping up up to a foot away from the bulb.
Some flower well year one and then lurk for a couple of seasons.
I think the reason is that CY supplies them with no roots. First years growth comes from what is stored in the bulb but they cannot build up for next year without new roots and these come later.
I am afraid that I cannot put a good name on these two.
In order to identify a lily it is usually necessary to have a close up of the nectary, and a side view of the flower, and a peep into the flower and a picture of the whole that shows leaves and type of inflorecense.
Göte
 

[Lesley Cox]

My seedlings (from John's seed) also didn't come up after the first winter though it was not likely to have been frost, here as they were growing in their seed pot in a very sheltered spot. Perhaps it was too much wet. One did survive and made very good growth this last spring/summer and is down now. I really hope I'll see it again, as it HAS been a hard winter this year, by NZ standards, anyway.

[rob krejzl]

I see that the key offers the venation (3 veined: primulinum, 5 veined: nepalense) as the critical difference.

[gote]

Primulinum is also generally much weaker in the stem. This makes it possible to see the difference at a glance if one has seen them both.
The primulinum bulb is white, The ochraceum bulb is large and red.
Primulinum disappears promptly the first winter. Ochraceum and nepalense usually survives my climate.
 - at least these are the observations I have made myself on an admittedly limited - but living -material.
Göte
   

[Afloden]

My experience with L.majoense is that it has a longer trumpet vs the turks cap shape of nepalense and the primulinum vars.

 Majoense also blooms earlier, July-ish. I only had primulinum for a very short time before it died, but it bloomed with Lilium speciosum var. gloriosum, August-ish. Majoense has grown for the past 6 years in Kansas (z5 -20fmax) and now in Knoxville, TN for almost 3 months. Would not say cold bothers it much, but maybe winter wet. My pot grown seedlings (also from Humphries) had many casualties the first two years, but now some are in the ground. Majoense has longer tepals and stamens than what is given in Flora of China also. I'll post some pictures later.

 Flora of China puts many species into synonymy that should be left separate, but others are recognized. Just remember its not official, just a current viewpoint.

 All the best,
 
 Aaron Floden
 Knoxville, TN