Lilium regale

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Lilium regale
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. regale
Binomial name
Lilium regale
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Lilium myriophyllum E.H. Wilson 1905, illegitimate homonym not Franch. 1892
Detail of flower

Lilium regale, called the regal lily,[3] royal lily,[4] king's lily,[5] or, in New Zealand, the Christmas lily,[6][7] is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, with trumpet-shaped flowers. It is native to the western part of Sichuan Province in southwestern China,[8][1] and cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental. It was introduced to England in 1903 by Ernest Henry Wilson.[9][10]

Description[edit]

Lilium regale is a long-lived, stem-rooting herbaceous perennial growing from an underground bulb. The leaves are borne at irregular intervals on the stem. Plants grow up to 2 meters high, though 1.2 to 1.5 meters is more common in the garden. The flowers are 14 cm long, funnel or trumpet shaped, white with yellow throat, flushed purple outside. Stamens are prominent. The flowers are strongly fragrant, especially at night.[1]

Cultivation[edit]

The Royal Horticultural Society has given Lilium regale its Award of Garden Merit.[11] It is among the easiest lilies to grow in most temperate climate gardens. It tolerates most soils, except ones prone to waterlogging. It may naturalise in suitable conditions. It can also be grown in large containers. The bulbs themselves are very hardy, but the shoots appear early in the season and may be damaged by frost. Plants can be raised from seed, and often flower in their second year. A serious pest is the Scarlet Lily Beetle, the larvae of which may cause complete defoliation. Stems may require staking to support the large blooms.[5][12]

There is a pure white form 'Album' which is also widely cultivated.[13]

Deer also frequently eat lily plants and fences as high as 8 feet may be needed to deter them.[14]

Toxicity[edit]

Cats[edit]

Lilium regale, like many in the genus, is toxic to cats, with ingestion causing potentially fatal renal failure.[15] Households that are visited by cats are advised against keeping this plant or placing dried flowers where a cat may brush against them and thus become dusted with pollen, which is then consumed during cleaning. Suspected cases require urgent veterinary attention.[16] Rapid treatment with activated charcoal and/or induced vomiting can reduce the amount of toxin absorbed, and large amounts of fluid by IV can reduce damage to kidneys to increase the chances of survival.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Flora of China, Vol. 24 Page 147 岷江百合 min jiang bai he Lilium regale E. H. Wilson, Gard. Chron. ser. 3, 53: 416. 1913.
  2. ^ Tropicos, search for Lilium myriophyllum
  3. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Lilium regale". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  4. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  5. ^ a b Royal Horticultural Society, Lilium regale (IXb/a) king's lily
  6. ^ Carman, Kerry (2015-11-06). "How to grow... madonna lilies". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  7. ^ "Lily Regale". Kings Seeds. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  8. ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  9. ^ Wilson, Ernest Henry 1905. Flora et Silva 3: 330, plate 1, as Lilium myriophyllum
  10. ^ Wilson, Ernest Henry. 1913. Lilium regale. Gardeners' Chronicle: a weekly illustrated journal of horticulture and allied subjects. ser. 3 53: 416 description and commentary in English; photograph of flowering specimen
  11. ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Lilium regale". Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  12. ^ Dave's Garden plant files, Regal Lily, Lilium regale
  13. ^ "Lilium regale 'Album'". Gardenia.net. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Will Deer Eat Hostas & Lilies?". SFGate. Hearst. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  15. ^ Fitzgerald, K.T. (2010). "Lily toxicity in the cat". Topics in Companion Animal Medicine. 25 (4): 213–217. doi:10.1053/j.tcam.2010.09.006. PMID 21147474.
  16. ^ a b Lily Poisoning in Cats. Pet MD.