Lilium lancifolium

Lilium lancifolium
Tiger Lily
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Liliaceae
Genus:	Lilium
Species:	lancifolium
Binomial name
Lilium lancifolium Thunb.

Lilium lancifolium (syn. L. tigrinum) is a species of lily native to northern and eastern Asia, including Japan. It is one of several species of lily to which the common name Tiger lily is applied, and is the species most widely known by this name.

Growth

Like other true lilies, the flowers are borne on an erect stem 80–200 cm tall, clothed with the more or less linear leaves 6–10 cm long and 1–2 cm broad. It is one of a very small number of species that produce aerial bulblets, known as bulbils, in the leaf axils along the stem. These can be used to propagate the plant. Flowers on the plant last for a short period of time before they wither and are replaced by newer flowers.

Cultivation and uses

It is cultivated in Asia for its edible bulbs. It is also grown as an ornamental plant for its bold flowers, and has become naturalised in parts of North America.

While most parts of the plant are edible for humans, the pollen is considered poisonous. All parts of the plant are toxic to cats, resulting in kidney failure in a few days after eating it.

Sub-species

Named sub-species in cultivation include;

• flaviflorum (Makino), yellow flowers.
• fortunei (Matthews), large form with woolly stems,
• splendens (Matthews), vigorous plant with larger flowers.

See also

• List of edible flowers

References

• European Garden Flora; vol. 1, 1986.

External links

• Flora of China: Lilium lancifolium (as L. tigrinum)
• Flora of North America: Lilium lancifolium (includes comment on species name)
• Description of Tiger Lily
• Tiger Lily Information
• Tiger Lily Toxicity in Cats