Herb latin name: Lilium callosum


Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family)



Edible parts of Lilium callosum:

Bulb - cooked. The bulb is up to 3cm in diameter. Rich in starch, it can be used as a vegetable in similar ways to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum).

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Bulb


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
August

Habitat of the herb:

Riverside meadows and meadow slopes. Grassy slopes in limestone areas at elevations of 100 - 900 metres in China.

Propagation of Lilium callosum:

Seed - immediate epigeal germination. Sow thinly in pots from late winter to early spring in a cold frame. Should germinate in 2 - 4 weeks. Great care should be taken in pricking out the young seedlings, many people prefer to leave them in the seed pot until they die down at the end of their second years growth. This necessitates sowing the seed thinly and using a reasonably fertile sowing medium. The plants will also require regular feeding when in growth. Divide the young bulbs when they are dormant, putting 2 - 3 in each pot, and grow them on for at least another year before planting them out into their permanent positions when the plants are dormant. Division with care in the autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately. Bulb scales can be removed from the bulbs in early autumn. If they are kept in a warm dark place in a bag of moist peat, they will produce bulblets. These bulblets can be potted up and grown on in the greenhouse until they are large enough to plant out. Bulblets are formed on the stem just below the soil surface. These should be dug up in the autumn and replanted immediately, preferably in a cold frame for growing on until large enough to plant out into the garden.

Cultivation of the herb:

Riverside meadows and meadow slopes. Grassy slopes in limestone areas at elevations of 100 - 900 metres in China.

Medicinal use of Lilium callosum:

None known

Known hazards of Lilium callosum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.