Lilium Akkusianum

Lilium akkusianum is a remarkably localised lily known only from the Akkus district of northern Turkey. Discovered in the 1990s and formally described in 1998, it rises from forest margins with nodding, fragrant Turk's-cap flowers in ivory to pale yellow, often marked by a darker central line and sparse purple-brown speckling. Woolly buds and orange-red pollen add further distinction. Its tiny natural range gives cultivated seed real conservation interest. Cool roots, humus-rich drainage and protection from summer heat best reflect its Pontic mountain habitat.