Lilium oxypetalum
(D. Don) Baker, 1874
Royle’s Lily / Yellow Himalayan Lily / Kaakolee (local)
Overview
Section: Sinomartagon — Western Himalayan lineage
Origin: Western & Central Himalaya — India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Nepal
Habitat: Moist, shaded Himalayan forest margins, alpine glades, and humus pockets at ~2,700–4,000 m
Type: Small, delicate montane lily of high cloud-forest and subalpine belts
Status: Naturally rare; scattered populations across steep Himalayan slopes
Chromosome number: 2n = 24 (diploid, consistent with Sinomartagon complex)
Introduction
Lilium oxypetalum, commonly called Royle’s Lily or the Yellow Himalayan Lily, is locally associated with the medicinal name Kaakolee (also spelled Kakoli, काकोली). The term does not originally refer to this lily specifically; rather, Kaakolee is one of the “Ashtavarga” plants, an elite group of eight revered Himalayan rejuvenative herbs in classical Āyurveda, famed for promoting longevity, vitality, and strength, and historically included in rasāyana (rejuvenation) formulations such as Chyawanprāsh. In certain Himalayan traditions, the bulbs of Lilium oxypetalum have been identified with Kaakolee and used as a tonic, nutritive restorative, and strengthening food in high-mountain herbal medicine, reflecting an enduring cultural and ethnobotanical association.
This diminutive and elegant species was first referenced by David Don and formally assigned to Lilium by Baker in 1874. It inhabits cool, monsoon-influenced slopes of the northwestern Himalaya, where dense cloud immersion, acidic humus soils, and prolonged winter snowpack shape a unique flora of high-elevation meadows, forest margins, and mossy subalpine clearings.
Once a botanical curiosity noted by early Himalayan explorers, L. oxypetalum remains seldom seen in cultivation and rarely photographed in the wild. It stands among the subtle jewels of the western Himalayan Sinomartagon radiation, characteristic of the quiet, moss-laden glades beneath birch–rhododendron cover and open alpine turf.
Description
This species is small-statured, usually 20–30 cm tall. Bulbs are ovoid, composed of tight ivory scales seated deeply in moist humus. Stems are slender, green flushed with purple, particularly near the base.
Leaves are linear-lanceolate, 5–7 cm long, arranged scattered or in a loose whorl below the inflorescence, glabrous and distinctly 5–7 veined.
Flowers are produced singly or in pairs in early summer. The bloom is semi-pendant, shallow bell-to-bowl-shaped, typically pale yellow to soft primrose, ~5 cm across, with light purple spotting toward the throat. Flowers are typically unscented or very faintly scented.
A purple-flowered form was historically described (var. insigne), now considered a local color morph rather than a taxon.
Seeds are produced in erect capsules; germination is delayed-hypogeal as in other Himalayan lilies.
Habitat and Ecology
Lilium oxypetalum is native to cool, moist Himalayan slopes influenced by monsoon clouds and winter snow. It grows in:
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Shaded forest margins
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Mossy alpine turf and grassy glades
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Humus pockets among Rhododendron, Betula utilis, and dwarf bamboo
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Moist acidic soils with excellent drainage
Verified field records place it between ~2,700–4,000 m (Flowers of India; iNaturalist). It prefers filtered light, consistent moisture, and cool roots protected by leaf litter or bracken.
Taxonomy and Variation
Historically, one variant was named:
- Lilium oxypetalum var. insigne, purple flowers (RHS Encyclopedia)
Modern floristic databases do not recognize infraspecific taxa; var. insigne is now considered a synonym / color variant within the natural range.
No domesticated or horticultural forms are known.
Relationships and Genetics
Although molecular data remain limited, L. oxypetalum is consistently placed in the western Himalayan Sinomartagon assemblage, allied with:
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L. nepalense
-
L. sempervivoideum
-
L. nanum
Early-diverging Himalayan dwarf complex
Chromosome number inferred from close relatives: 2n = 24.
Its morphology and ecology suggest it is an early-branching Himalayan montane element, perhaps a transitional species between low-light forest lilies and high-alpine miniature forms.
Phylogenetic Position (Simplified)
Section Sinomartagon
│
├── Western Himalayan Lineage
│ ├── L. oxypetalum
│ ├── L. nepalense
│ └── L. sempervivoideum
│
└── Eastern Tibetan–Hengduan Lineage
├── L. sherriffiae
├── L. nanum
└── L. lophophorum
Cultivation
Rare and difficult in cultivation. Requires:
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Cool summers; never hot roots
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Humus-rich acidic soil + mineral grit
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Partial shade & constant humidity
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Snow-mimicking winter rest
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Excellent high continous air movement
Best suited to alpine houses or cold maritime locations (Pacific Northwest, Scotland, NZ South Island). Scaling and seed propagation possible but slow.
Conservation
Threat factors include:
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Forest edge loss from road building & pasture expansion
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Climate change reducing snow cover duration
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Grazing pressure in alpine meadows
Like many Himalayan geophytes, long-term conservation depends on intact cloud-forest / subalpine habitat mosaics.
Evolutionary Significance
Lilium oxypetalum is a subtle relic of the western Himalayan montane lily radiation, marking an early stage of Sinomartagon diversification into shaded forest / alpine ecotones. Its reduced stature, shallow bell form, pale yellow pigmentation, and hypogeal germination reflect ancient alpine woodland ancestry and the monsoon-snow dual rhythm of Himalayan ecology.
Works Cited
Baker, J.G. (1874). Lilium oxypetalum description.
Don, D. Original Himalayan field collections (19th c.).
Brickell, C. (1996). RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Dorling Kindersley. p.616.
Gledhill, D. (1989). The Names of Plants. Cambridge Univ. Press.
POWO. Lilium oxypetalum taxon record.
World Flora Online. Lilium oxypetalum profile.
Flowers of India (2024). Yellow Himalayan Lily / Kaakolee.
https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Yellow%20Himalayan%20Lily.html
iNaturalist. Lilium oxypetalum observations & distribution data (2024).