Martagon lily in Polissia
Lilium martagon
Red Data Book of Ukraine
The martagon lily, or Turk's cap lily, is a tall plant up to a metre or more with a straight stem on which the leaves are arranged in whorls. The flowers are nodding, pinkish-lilac with dark spots, with petals strongly curved backwards, which makes them look like a turban.
The martagon lily grows in broadleaved and mixed forests, on forest edges and in shrubland on fertile soils. In Polissia it occurs in oak and hornbeam forests, particularly in the south of Polissia.
The flowers are most fragrant in the evening, when they are visited by night-flying hawk moths. Several years pass from the germination of a seed to the lily's flowering.
The martagon lily is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. Do not pick the flowers or dig up the bulbs; photograph them instead, without trampling the grass around.
When to see: June–July
Where it was seen in Polissia
Observations from the open scientific database GBIF since 1990. Locations are shown approximately, to within 10 km.
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