Lilium superbum

L.

Turk's-cap Lily

G5Secure Found in 70 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.158614
Element CodePMLIL1A0P0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderLiliales
FamilyLiliaceae
GenusLilium
Other Common Names
turk's-cap lily (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
Distinct species.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-06-28
Change Date1990-09-18
Edition Date2024-06-28
Edition AuthorsMorse, L. and rev. E. Roth, rev. N. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Lilium superbum is a widespread herb occurring in swamps, moist meadows, balds, pine barrens, roadsides, and gaps in woods in eastern North America from New Hampshire west to Missouri and south to Louisiana and Florida in the United States. Threats include logging, conversion to pasture, invasive species, rights-of-way maintenance activities, deer browse, recreation (including off-road vehicles), oil and gas development, collection for cultivation, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent, and over 300 occurrences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Lilium superbum occurs in eastern North America from New Hampshire west to Missouri and south to Louisiana and Florida in the United States (FNA 2002), and it is primarily a southern Appalachian and northern Atlantic Coastal Plain species (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). A single report from Vermont (F.C. Seymour 1993), remains unconfirmed (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be 1.4 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 1,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). However, this taxon is commonly cultivated, and iNatualist observations (>3,000) were not evaluated for evidence of cultivation (iNaturalist 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by logging, conversion to pasture, invasive species, rights-of-way maintenance activities, deer browse, recreation (including off-road vehicles), oil and gas development, collection for cultivation, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and tolerance of light disturbance, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Lilium superbum occurs in "gaps and openings in rich woods, swamp edges and bottoms, streamsides, moist meadows and thickets, balds, pine barrens, [and] roadsides" (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferForest EdgeGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
LouisianaS1Yes
New HampshireSHYes
IllinoisS2Yes
New JerseyS4Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
MissouriS1Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
AlabamaS3Yes
MississippiS3Yes
OhioS3Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
New YorkS4Yes
MarylandSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
IndianaS3Yes
KentuckyS1Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
DelawareS5Yes
FloridaS1Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
ArkansasS1Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
South CarolinaS1Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
Threat Assessments

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (70)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Georgia (7)
AreaForestAcres
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Tripp BranchChattahoochee National Forest615
North Carolina (24)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Barkers Creek (addition)Nantahala National Forest975
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Big Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest1,155
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Little Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest640
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Middle Prong AdditionPisgah National Forest1,852
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Slide HollowPisgah National Forest193
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Tennessee (7)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Virginia (17)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beartown Addition BJefferson National Forest2,985
Hunting Camp Little Wolf CreekJefferson National Forest8,953
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Laurel ForkGeorge Washington National Forest9,967
Lewis Fork AdditionJefferson National Forest749
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Saint Marys AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest1,454
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
West Virginia (13)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cheat MountainMonongahela National Forest8,191
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
East Fork Of GreenbrierMonongahela National Forest7,167
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Marlin MountainMonongahela National Forest9,344
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Spice RunMonongahela National Forest6,251
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.