Lilium polyphyllum

Botanical Description

Lilium polyphyllum is a herbaceous perennial bulbiferous plant producing a leafy stem around 100cm tall Used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine, this is one of the most important medicinal plants of India. The bulbs are harvested from the wild on a large scale for use as a medicine and are traded at local, national and international markets[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ]. The plant is also an ingredient in commercial cosmetic products[ 1243 Title CosIng Publication Author Website http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. ], and is grown as an ornamental. Lilium polyphyllum bulbs are collected from the wild on a large scale and in an indiscriminate way. This has a severe impact on the plant's natural regeneration. Thus, the population of this species is declining very fast in the natural habitat. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2015)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].