Likiang Lily

Lilium papilliferum is a rare plant native to the provinces of Shaanxi, Sichuan, and northeastern Yunnan in the People's Republic of China. However, in the early 21st century, growers and collectors obtained an unidentified species that turned out to be Lilium papilliferum, collected from neighboring Tibet to the west. This discovery suggests that the species is also native to Tibet. The plant thrives in sunny alpine regions, often found among shrubs on slopes, dry rock outcrops, and open, stony pastures in the alpine zone. It can be found at altitudes ranging from 1000 to 3300 meters. The region experiences monsoon rains during the summer, while hard frosts are relatively uncommon.

Lilium papilliferum was discovered in August 1888 by missionary and plant collector Pierre Jean Marie Delavay in Tapintse on the northern tip of Lake Dali in northwestern Yunnan. It was first described in 1892 by Adrien René Franchet based on herbarium material. Subsequent discoveries were made by George Forrest in 1914 at the Mekong-Saluen watershed, and Joseph Francis Charles Rock in 1922. In 1948, Rock brought the bulbs to England for the first time, leading to the first cultivated flower of Lilium papilliferum in 1949. Like many other Chinese species, Lilium papilliferum was initially classified by Harold Frederick Comber in the Sinomartagon section. However, molecular genetic studies have revealed that this section is polyphyletic and can be divided into at least five distinct groups, some of which are clearly separated.