Formosa Lily

Lilium formosanum Formosa Lily

DESCRIPTION

Perennial herb with upright annual aerial stem 0.5-2m tall; thickened lanceolate bulb scales. Alternate linear to lanceolate leaves to 15cm long by 5–10mm wide, progressively smaller up stem.

FLOWERS AND FRUIT

One to eight terminal fragrant white flowers with a mauve-coloured central line, horizontal to somewhat ascending; pedicels 5–15mm long. Oblanceolate tepals 10–15cm long, stamens 10cm long; yellow to purplish cylindrical anthers 8–10mm long. Flowers from January to April. Cylindrical capsules 5–8cm long by 1–2cm wide contain hundreds of seeds.

HABITAT AND RANGE

Disturbed sites, including roadsides, drainage ditches and wasteland, in coastal areas from southeast Queensland to southern Victoria and the Blue Mountains. Native of Taiwan.