''Lilium pyrophilum'', the sandhills lily, is a North American species of plant in the

lily family The lily family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15 genera and 610 species of flowering plants within the order Liliales. They are monocotyledonous, perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous geophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to the Sandhills region of southern

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

and northern

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = G ...

, in the eastern United States.Skinner, Mark W. & Sorrie, Bruce 2002. Conservation and ecology of Lilium pyrophilum, a new species of Liliacaeae from the Sandhills Region of the Carolinas and Virginia, U.S.A. Novon 12(1): 94–105, figures 1–3.
short diagnosis in Latin, commentary in English; line drawing; distribution map; photos; comparisons with other species, etc. ''Lilium pyrophilum'' produces a rhizomatous bulbous root system which is occasionally branched. The plant grows to 0.6-1.6 m (*) It has long narrow, slightly pointed leaves arranged in a variable number of whorls around the stem. The leaves may be upright or drooping. The yellow or yellow–orange inflorescence is borne on

racemes A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the sh ...

of 1–7 flowers, they are pendant and not fragrant. The petals can be reddish, reddish–orange, dusky red or magenta towards the tip and marked with magenta spots and turned back in a "turks cap" shape. The anthers are magenta or purple. It blooms from late July to mid–August. Lilium pyrophilum is also named the "Sandhills lily" from its restricted location where it benefits from regular brush fires.Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 194 Sandhills lily , ''Lilium pyrophilum'' M. W. Skinner & Sorrie, Novon. 12: 94, figs. 1, 2. 2002.
/ref> ''Lilium pyrophilum'' is botanically related to '' Lilium superbum'', with which it may be confused, and '' Lilium michauxii'' with which it can cross-pollinate. By observations it appears that the ruby-throated hummingbirds (''Archilocus colubris'') may be involved in the pollination of this flower and the Palamedes swallowtail butterfly also pollinates this lily.

References

pyrophilum Endemic flora of the United States Flora of Virginia Flora of North Carolina Flora of South Carolina Plants described in 2002 Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{liliales-stub