Lilium speciosum

Lilium speciosum
A white cultivar
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Liliaceae
Subfamily: Lilioideae
Tribe: Lilieae
Genus: Lilium
Species:
L. speciosum
Binomial name
Lilium speciosum
Synonyms[1]
Synonymy
  • Lilium superbum Thunb. 1784, illegitimate homonym not L. 1762
  • Lilium broussartii E.Morren
  • Lilium albiflorum Hook.
  • Lilium eximium Kunth
  • Lilium punctatum Lem.
  • Lilium vestale Mast.
  • Lilium konishii Hayata
  • Lilium melpomene Kronfeldt
  • Lilium kanahirae Hayata (syn of var. gloriosoides)
  • plus numerous other names at the level of form or variety

Lilium speciosum is an East Asian species of plants in the lily family. It is native to southern Japan and southern China, where it can be found at elevations of 600–900 metres (2,000–3,000 ft).[1][2][3] It is sometimes called the Japanese lily though there are other species with this common name.

Lilium speciosum grows up to 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) tall and 0.3 metres (1 ft 0 in) wide, blooming from August to September in north temperate regions.[4] The flowers are white to pink in colour, and strongly scented. It is later flowering than most other species. Many garden forms are in cultivation, and the species has been widely used for breeding of garden forms.

Lilium speciosum contains phenolic glycosides, such as 6′-O-feruloylsucrose and (25R,26R)-26-methoxyspirost-5-en-3β-ol 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-glucopyranoside, and steroidal saponins.[5]

Varieties[1]
  • 1870 illustration[6]
    1870 illustration[6]
  1. ^ a b c Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ^ Tropicos, Lilium speciosum Thunb.
  3. ^ Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 142 药百合 yao bai he Lilium speciosum var. gloriosoides Baker, Gard. Chron., n.s.,. 14: 198. 1880.
  4. ^ "Lilium speciosum". Plants for a Future. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  5. ^ Yoshihiro Mimaki and Yutaka Sashida (1991). "Steroidal and phenolic constituents of Lilium speciosum". Phytochemistry. 30 (3): 937–940. Bibcode:1991PChem..30..937M. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(91)85283-6. PMID 1367589.
  6. ^ Image from "Flora Japonica" by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini