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Lilium brownii

Common name:	Hong Kong Lily	Family:	Liliaceae
Author:	F.E.Br. ex Meillez.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:	Lilium odorum, Lilium candidum (non L.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Southern China from Hong Kong, to Burma
Habitat:	Loose fertile soil along woodland edges or in grass and thickets[147]. Rock crevices, amongst coarse grass and scrub below 1,500 metres[260].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Azucena [E], Bayaz Zanbag [E], Beyaz Zambak [E], Chia Pai Ho [E], Hsien Pai Ho [E], Lily,Madonna [E], Lily,White [E], Lirio De Jardin [E], Lis [E], Madonna Lily [H,P,B], Pai Ho [E], Pai Ho Kan [E], Sawsan Abyadh [E], Yeh Pai Ho [E], Zanbaq [E],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Liliales. Lily family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Belgium; China; Ei; Guatemala; Iraq; Spain; Turkey; Uruguay; Us(Or); Venezuela; Vietnam

Physical Characteristics

Bulb growing to 1.2m. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower in July. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Condiment; Flowers; Root.

Bulb - cooked[61, 105, 163]. A pleasant slightly sweet taste[183], they are used as a vegetable in much the same way as potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). A starch can be extracted from the bulbs and added to other foods[183]. The grated bulb can be added as a thickener to soups etc[183]. The bulb is usually rather small[260].
The dried flower petals are used as a flavouring in soups[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antitussive; Carminative; Diuretic; Expectorant; Febrifuge; Pectoral; Poultice; Sedative; Tonic.

The bulb is antitussive, diuretic, carminative, expectorant, febrifuge, pectoral, sedative and tonic[147, 176, 218]. A decoction is used in the treatment of coughs and haematemesis due to deficiency condition, anxiety, apprehension, oedema and difficult urination[147].
Bulbils from the leaf axils are used in the treatment of intestinal disorders[218].
The dried and powdered flowers are used as a poultice for bruises, cuts etc[218].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers an open free-draining humus-rich loamy soil with its roots in the shade and its head in the sun[200]. Requires a light soil[42, 47]. Is this species lime-tolerant?[200]. Plants prefer a position that s moist in the summer but dry in the winter[260].
Stem rooting, the bulbs should be planted 20 - 25cm deep[42, 47, 143].
Said to be very difficult in cultivation[47], this species tolerates temperatures down to about -3°c[260]. It grows well at Kew but is not hardy everywhere[143].
Self-sterile, the type species does not set seed[47]. It is believed that this species is either of hybrid origin or it is a garden form of the true wild species L. brownii colchesteri. Wils.[143]. It is the sub-species colchesteri that is used medicinally[176, 218].
The flowers have a soft sweet fragrance. This fragrance is more pronounced in the variety 'Viridulum'[245].
The plant does not come into growth until late spring[260]. It should be protected against slugs at this time since if the shoot tip is eaten out the bulb will not grow in that year and will lose vigour[200].
The edible bulbs are occasionally sold in ethnic markets in San Francisco[183] and are a common food item in China[179].

Propagation

Seed - immediate epigeal germination[130]. Sow thinly in pots from late winter to early spring in a cold frame. Should germinate in 2 - 4 weeks[163]. 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[K].
Division with care in the autumn once the leaves have died down. Replant immediately[200].
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[200].
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[143, 163].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a soft sweet fragrance. This fragrance is more pronounced in the variety 'Viridulum'.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Lilium candidum (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Liliaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[47] Fox. D. Growing Lilies. Croom Helm 1985
A lovely and very readable book dealing with the cultivation of the genus Lilium.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[130] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983. Royal Horticultural Society 1982
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants, including Distylium racemosum and some perennial members of the family Berberidaceae.

[143] Woodcock. and Coutts. Lilies - Their Culture and Management. Country Life 1935
A classic, but dated. Deals with the genus Lilium.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[163] RHS Lily Group. Lilies and Related Plants.
Lots of interesting snippets about plants in the family Liliaceae (in the old, broad sense)

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[179] Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.