A single white lily is blooming in the shadow of a grove of trees that the setting sun illuminates the surface of the mountain.  It looked lonely, but its dignified appearance made me feel uplifted.  At first I thought it was Teppo Yuri (gun lily), but the flowering season of lilies, including Teppo Yuri, is from July to August.  In addition, the size of the flower is slightly larger than that of Teppo Yuri, and the leaves are thin.  I checked to see if it was Takasago Yuri, and it turned out to be Takasago Yuri. Teppo Yuri is endemic to Japan, but the Takasago Yuri is a non-native species native to Taiwan.  It has a long flowering season and continues to bloom until October.  It was introduced to Japan in 1924 for gardening.  It is a hardy variety that grows in plains and wilderness in bright, well-drained areas, and is now widely distributed in Japan after becoming wild.

山肌を夕日が照らす木立の影に白百合がたった一輪咲いています。寂しそうにもみえましたが、凛としたその立ち姿に背筋が伸びる思いもします。最初鉄砲百合だと思ったのですが、鉄砲百合も含めて百合の花期は７月〜８月です。それに花の大きさが鉄砲百合よりやや大きいし、葉が細い。高砂百合ではないかと調べてみたら、案の定高砂百合でした。鉄砲百合は日本の固有種ですが、高砂百合は台湾が原産の外来種です。花期も長く、10月くらいまで咲き続けます。日本には1924年に園芸用に移入されました。水はけの良い明るい場所なら原野や荒野で育つ強い品種で、野生化して今では日本にも広く分布しています。