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It’s a fascination to me to see how diverse cultivars of the same flower species can be. If you think of something like dahlias, for instance, there’s a massive variation between their flower types. But even flowers that might sound the same when described can actually look quite different.
The lily flowers here are similar enough that when I reviewed my pictures after a garden-visit, I initially thought I had two sets of photos of the same plant. As soon as I paid them proper attention, I realised that they were in fact quite unalike. They have only superficial similarities of colour and flower shape.
At first glance, both lilies have swept-back (‘recurved’) petals and an orange and white colouration to their flowers. But a second look shows that the orange of the lily below is much softer and more muted than the one above. Additionally, the top lily has dark speckles on its petals and little bumps called ‘papillae’. (I’ve read that these papillae are important, because they secrete a substance that attracts insects. They are also exploited by lily breeders to produce a different look to flowers.)
I don’t grow lilies in my own garden (because I have cats and lilies would be a danger to them), so I don’t often get the chance to look at lily flowers very closely. Seeing and photographing them in other people’s gardens feels like a little voyage of exploration – one I enjoy tremendously! 🙂
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
Both lilies are beautiful. I find it interesting that the texture of their petals seems quite different in the photos.
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It does! The dark spots on the top lily are a bit raised, as well as having the papillae, but I think the light makes a lot of difference too, in picking out its texture. (And with the second lily, I couldn’t get very close, so not possible to have quite the same detail!)
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Both of these are attractive, but I really like the ones in the first photo. Those dark spots add so much, and the raised ‘thingies’ on the petals are exceptionally interesting. I’ve never been much of a daylily fan, but these are a cut above!
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Yes, those dark spots are very attractive. These are both ‘proper’ lilies (Lilium) rather than daylilies (Hemerocallis), though in photos they look very similar, especially when you can’t see the leaves. The garden these were in has a wonderful collection of lilies, so a treat to photograph. 🙂
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Beautiful, Ann! I can see the difference, the first ones having beard!😃
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Hehe, thanks Indira!
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I’ll bet you could go a step further and find differences even between two individuals of the same variety.
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That’s very likely, Steve! Although it would be more difficult in someone else’s garden if you can’t get close enough to see all the detail.
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A bit of a weird comment for me to leave but what I first saw wasn’t beautiful lilies which they are, but the wallpaper on my parents living room walls in the 1970’s – second lily.
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Lol, yes, but somehow I can imagine that wallpaper – makes me think of a very flowery wallpaper in my parents’ house. I hope it brought back happy memories! 🙂
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