Speaking of Tiger Lilies...What's In A Name?

"As the Chinese name for this lily, it was adopted by Ker Gawler in 1810 as Lilium tigrinum. 
In Japan the name is oniyuri which means ogre-lily. 
Thunberg working on Japanese material named it in 1794 as Lilium lancifolium."  
Above from The Pacific Bulb Society  
Visit them for a nice reference to the many basic varieties.

Google translate has oniyuri = オニユリ= tiger lily

In the world of naming things, whoever gets there first wins.  Taxonomists use the earliest documented name.  In this case it wasn't known at first,  but was corrected.  This is not unusual, especially in earlier centuries when communication of discoveries was not as advanced.  You can imagine how important it is to respect this rule! 

From Flora of North America:  
"Throughout most of modern botanical history this Chinese lily has been known as Lilium tigrinum, but recent nomenclatural reassessment affirms that Thunberg’s description, published sixteen years earlier than Ker Gawler’s, applies to this species. 

A nice book I found is Lilies of Japan by  Kabushiki Kaisha. I think the title really is Lilies of Yokohama but that is only a guess.  No text, but many nice illustrations, including his one.

The

Though many North America species are known vernacularly as tiger lilies, the name is properly applied only to this one. Along with L. candidum, it is considered to be among the earliest domesticated lilies (H. D. Woodcock and W. T. Stearn 1950), no doubt because it is handsome, easy to grow, and the bulbs are edible and substantial. It is widely planted in North America, usually as a sterile triploid that is best propagated from the bulbils.

Perhaps the hardiest garden lily, Lilium lancifolium is a widespread but sporadic garden escape, and roadside lilies near habitation in eastern and northeastern North America are often this species. Despite its general use in gardens, it seems to be naturalized only in the better-watered eastern portion of the continent." 

(In NE CT it spreads like mad given a bit of dirt for the bulbil to fall on.  I suspect tight turf might slow it down.)
There are a few cultivars grown in gardens - (from http://alanjolliffe.blogspot.com/2010/01/lilium-lancifolium-tiger-lily.html)

L. lancifolium ‘Flore Pleno’ (l.l. Florabunda) which has large double flowers.

L. lancifolium ‘Giganteum’ a larger growing form

L. lancifolium ‘Splendens’  with large glossy flowers of a rich salmon red colour.

L. lancifolium var flaviflorum a yellow purple spotted form which does set seed.

L. lancifolium var. fortunei with densely woolly stems

L. lancifolium var. simplex a single flowered form

L. lancifolium var. plenescens which has six series of petals and sepals.   

















Likable Links: 

• Wonderful obsessive site of Biology Through Stamps...
• Dutch link to a fantastic page of period illustrations of lilies and info. Home page cool, too
• http://fossilsandotherlivingthings.blogspot.com/2013_07_01_archive.html   Super! More detail on the Thunberg/Gawler deal.
• Flavor and Fortune - Recipes for lily bulbs and flowers.  NOTE:  "The bulb of the tiger lily mentioned above, Lilium lancifolium, is not used, but the pre-opened flower is in common use."
• Eat The Weeds - interesting, plus a photo of a cow wearing a methane capture bag. :-)

Pussy cat alert:Although humans eat tiger lily bulbs, all parts of the plant are toxic to cats, causing kidney failure and death.