Occurrence of <i>Lilium wallichianum</i> from Uttarakhand, Himalaya

Abstract

Lilium wallichianum Schult and Schult.f. (family- Liliaceae) known as Dr. Wallich's Nepal Lily (Hooker, 1851) is a bulbous plants native to India, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar. It grows on moist forests (subtropical and temperate) and grassy slopes between 1200 to 2000 m elevation. It is very rare and found in small populations. The bulbs are consumed by the local communities (Singh and Sanjappa, 2006). It is very difficult to cultivate it in gardens (Hooker, 1851). Therefore, having restricted habitats in the wild as well. It is a beautiful lily offloriculture importance. It is now facing hazards of extinction owing to the over exploitation, massive road constructions, developmental activities and forest fire in Uttarakhand. Aswal and Mehrotra (1983) mentioned the occurrence of L. wallichianum at Sonprayag (1600m), Chamoli district, based on the collection made by Mehrotra no. 5897 (CDRI) on 21^st August, 1977 and stated that based on the literature and herbarium survey (BSD, DD, CAL). L. wallichianum neither reported nor collected from the North-West Himalaya during the 19^th century and recollection of this lily from Sonprayag in Chamoli district (erstwhile Uttar Pradesh) after a lapse of over 13 decades represents the only location in North-West Himalaya. Considering the fact, a detailed survey on the population status in the Uttarakhand region and literature review of the species was made to understand the overall status in the Western Himalaya.