Lloydia serotina (L.) Salisb. ex Rchb.
alp lily (common alplily)
Liliaceae

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Ian Gardiner     (Photo ID #15719)

Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Lloydia serotina
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a small, oblong, greyish, fibrous-coated bulb at the end of a rhizome; flowering stems 4-15 cm tall, smooth.
Leaves:
Basal leaves several, linear, grass-like, somewhat fleshy, 2-10 (15) cm long, about 1 mm wide, smooth; stem leaves 2 to 4, alternate, reduced upward, 1-4 cm long and 1-2 mm wide.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of 1 or rarely 2, erect to nodding flowers atop the stem; flowers creamy-white with purple or green veins, often tinged with rose on the outside, broadly top-shaped, 8-13 mm long, of 6 similar, distinct tepals, the tepals oblong or broadly lanceolate; stamens 6; pistil 1, 3-chambered.
Fruits:
Capsules, egg-shaped, 6-8 mm long; seeds numerous, crescent-shaped, flattened.
Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:

1. Tepals with purple veins; basal leaves often shorter than the flowering stems................... var. serotina

1. Tepals with yellow or green veins; basal leaves often longer than flowering stems..................... var. flava (Calder & Taylor) Boivin

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Lloydia serotina

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
 Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max
Elevation (metres)
 1840 920 2360
Slope Gradient (%)
 23 0 235

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

 197 0 325
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		2 0 4
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
 C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
 33
Modal BEC Zone Class
 BAFA

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

 BAFA(26), cma(3), ESSF(1), IMA(1), MH(2)

Habitat and Range

Mesic rocky slopes, rock crevices and gravelly meadows in the upper subalpine and alpine zones; var. flava - infrequent and endemic on NW Vancouver Island, WC BC and the Queen Charlotte Islands; var. serotina - frequent in scattered localities throughout W BC; circumboreal, N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to NM, UT, NV and NW OR.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

© 2019 E-Flora BC  Contact us