Lilium matangense

Lilium matangense
J. M. Xu (1985)

(Mǎtáng Bǎihé / 马塘百合 – “Matang Lily”)

Overview

Section: Sinomartagon (Asiatic section)
Origin: Maerkang (旧 Barkam), Sichuan Province, China — Matang mountain region
Habitat: Sunny limestone-clay slopes and rocky openings in montane scrub and cliffs at 3 200–3 300 m
Type: Small, nodding, white-flowered Asiatic lily
Status: Endemic to a tiny area of north-western Sichuan; populations critically limited

Description

(After Flora of China Vol. 24 p. 138; German & Portuguese summaries)

A delicate herbaceous lily, 20–35 cm tall, bearing a single nodding flower per stem.

  • Bulb: small, white, ovoid, ≈ 1–1.5 cm diam., scales lanceolate (2–2.5 × 0.5–1 cm).
  • Stem: slender, sometimes finely papillose.
  • Leaves: linear (6–11 cm × 1–4 mm), occasionally in loose whorls near mid-stem, often with papillose margins.
  • Flower: solitary, nodding, white tinged pale brown, spotted with purple-brown dots; tepals lanceolate (2.5–3.5 × 0.5–0.7 cm) with revolute margins; nectaries smooth, not papillose.
  • Anthers: yellow-orange; filaments ≈ half tepal length.
  • Fragrance: slight to none (recorded as neutral in field notes).
  • Flowering: June–July.

Ecology & Habitat

Lilium matangense is restricted to limestone-derived clay soils on sun-exposed slopes and cliffs of north-western Sichuan.

These habitats experience cool summers, strong UV light, and winter snow.
The species grows among dwarf shrubs and dry grassland plants, often in pockets of thin, alkaline soil with excellent drainage.

Its altitudinal range (≈ 3 200–3 300 m) corresponds to the upper limit of sub-alpine forest transition zones.

Pollination likely by small bees and hoverflies.

Conservation Notes

The entire known population consists of fewer than several hundred individuals in one small mountain system near Matang.

Primary threats include grazing, road construction, and habitat erosion.
Propagation experiments have achieved ≈ 75 % germination under controlled conditions, and tissue-culture lines are maintained for ex-situ conservation.

Cultivation Guidelines

  • Soil: Alkaline loam with gritty limestone aggregate; excellent drainage required.

  • Light: Full sun to bright exposure with cool roots.

  • Water: Moist during growth, drier in dormancy.

  • Temperature: Cool summer conditions (≤ 22 °C) essential; intolerant of sustained heat.

  • Propagation: Scaling and seed; slow juvenile phase typical of section Sinomartagon.

Taxonomy & Relationships

Placed within Sinomartagon, the section of East-Asian “small flowered Asiatic” lilies.

Morphologically, L. matangense is closest to L. lophophorum and L. souliei, sharing a solitary bell and non-papillose nectaries but differing in its white, heavily spotted tepals and more xeric habitat.

Phylogenetic Context (ASCII overview)
┌── L. lophophorum
┌───────────┤
│ ├── L. souliei
Section
Sinomartagon ────────────┤
│ ├── L. medogense
│ └── L. matangense ← (NW Sichuan; white, spotted; limestone slopes)
│
└── L. amoenum / L. nepalense complex

(Topology based on morphological and regional proximity; molecular data for L. matangense not yet published.)

Evolutionary Context

Lilium matangense appears to represent a northern, more xeric offshoot of the Southeastern Himalayan Sinomartagon complex.

Its adaptation to sunny limestone cliffs contrasts with the shadier, moist habitats of related taxa, suggesting micro-speciation driven by edaphic isolation and UV stress.

References

Xu, J. M. “Lilium matangense, a new species from Sichuan, China.” Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 23 (1985): 392–393.

Flora of China. Vol. 24 (2000): 138. Liliaceae: Lilium matangense. Missouri Botanical Garden & Harvard University Herbaria. https://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=240001421

Lilium-TC Laboratory. “Lilium matangense Profile and Propagation Notes.” Accessed 2025. https://www.lilium-tc.com/?product=lilium-matangense
.

Wikipedia (DE/PT). “Lilium matangense.” Last modified 2023. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_matangense
.

Duan, Y., et al. “Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Lilium.” Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 199 (2022): 323–341.