Lilium ledebourii

Susan -e Chelcheragh

in Gilan province, north part of Iran

LiliaceaeThis plant family of about 3,500 species, consists of mostly perennial herbs. These herbs tend to have narrow, parallelveined leaves and underground storage organs such as rhizomes, bulbs, corms, or tubers. The fruit types are septicidal or loculicidal capsules, or berries. Some of the plants that make up the Liliaceae family are evergreen succulents such as Aloe and Haworthia, or vines such as Smilax.There are many beneficial members in the Liliaceae family such as:

onion, shallot, garlic, and chives (all Allium spp) - used for food colchicine and red squill - medicinal day lily, tulip, and solomon's seal - ornamental

And there are some poisonious members such as: 1-staggergrass (Amianthemum) 2-lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria )3-Starof-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) Lily species have been a lso used as ornamental plants for centuries

Habit and Habitats:Habit is as perennial herbs from bulbs, corms or rhizomes and rarley as vinesor shrubs. Leaves a re simple, often sessile and variously arranged. Venation is usually parallel. The Liliaceae is rather generally distributed in both temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions. The classification of the family is very complex, and different authors have widely different views on what plants should be included in the Liliaceae. In PB260, we take a broad view of the family. Natural habitats of lilies are mostly on high altitudes, reaching up to over 2000 meters from the sea level. Their adaptation to extreme annual changes in temperature and humidity makes them suitable garden plants in a large climatic area from temperate to subarctic latitudes. Most lily species have been used as ornamental plants for centuries. Systematic breeding of lily cultivars, the number of which exceeding nowadays to several thousands, started only in the 1950's by Jan de Graaff. Though, the very first hybrids originate from the 19th century. (Woodcock & Stearn 1950, Jefferson-Brown & Howland 1995.) Today lilies are important plants that are grown in gardens and cultivated for cut flowers. In addition to a few traditionally grown species.

The genus of liliesGenuine lilies belong to the Lilium family consisting of approximately 100 species in the Eurasia and North American continents . Most lily species originate from South-East Asia (China, Korean peninsula and Japan). Another large group of species comes from North America. The number of native European and Caucasian (Eurasian) species is approximately 10. (Woodcock & Stearn 1950, Baranova 1990.)

Varieties:There is a great deal of variation in the lilies; Many members of the Liliaceae are herbaceous perennials, as in tulips and daffodils; however some can be succulents or even trees. Tulips (Tulipa) are typical members of the Liliaceae and are beautiful in the spring. Lilies are common garden plants in Northern Europe in addition to a few traditionally grown species the diversity of the lilies has increased along with the popularity also in Scandinavia. However, the variety of lilies available in this area is limited compared to that in Central Europe and North America. Preliminary observations on the persistence of a large scale of lily species in Northern Finland are promising with regard to further breeding and developmental work. This is the prerequisite for the production of hardy lilies of high quality for the culture in the demanding climate. Many members of the Liliaceae have underground structures that enable the plants to be perennial. Onions and garlic are bulbs; corms, rhizomes, and tubers are also found in the Liliaceae A common woodland wildflower is Polygonatum commutatum,

Solomon's Seal, which is about 3 feet tall. The genus Narcissus is very commonly cultivated for the spring flowers. In the genus Narcissus, the sepals and petals are fused together, there is a "corona" produced at the flower opening, which sometimes looks like a trumpet.

The organogenic structure of a lilyThe main organs of an adult lily plant are basal roots, the bulb, which is the underground part of the shoot, and the inflorescence or the flowering shoot that emerges above the ground and carries the flowers . The size and form of these organs vary greatly within the genus. The bulb is always without any protective tunic or coat, and the growth type is sympodial. The bulb scales are morphologically specialized leaves containing nutrient and water reservoirs. The apical meristem produces the inflorescence whereas the axillary meristems produce the side bulbs that continue the growth after the main shoot perishes. (Woodcock & Stearn 1950, Baranova 1990, McRae 1998.) The inflorescence bares the leaves that lie either in whorls or are scattered along the stem. The flowers are situated on top of the stem either individually, in racemes or in umbels. The flower is the model of the monocotyledon type of structure. It is symmetric consisting of two whorls of petals, two whorls of anthers and a single trilobed ovary. The flowers are large and showy, and they vary in size and colour. (Woodcock & Stearn 1950, McRae 1998.)

The reproduction and structure of a lily:a) A cross and longitudinal section of amature seed pod containing seeds. b) The vegetative shoot and inflorescense of lily; arrowspoint to the adventitious or axillary buds (bulbils). c) Epigeal germination, d) hypogeal germination.

Classification of lily speciesClass Species 1. Martagon group: LL. distichum, hansonii, martagon, medeoloides, tsingtauense 2. American group: a) LL. bolander, columbianum, kelloggii, humboldtii, rubescens, washingtonianum b) LL. maritimum, nevadense, occidentale, pardalinum, parryi, parvum, roezlii c) LL. canadense, grayi, iridollae, michauxii, michiganense, superbum d) LL. catesbaei, philadelphicum 3. Candidum group: LL. bulbiferum, candidum, carniolicum, chalcedonicum, monadelphum, polyphyllum, pomponium, pyrenaicum 4. Oriental group: LL. auratum, brownii, japonicum, nobilissimum, rubellum, speciosum 5. Asiatic group: a) LL. davidii, duchartrei, henryi, lancifolium, lankongense, leichtlinii, papilliferum b) LL. amabile, callosum, cernuum, concolor, pumilum c) LL. bakerianum, mackliniae, nepalense, ochraceum, sempervivoideum, taliense, wardii 6. Trumpet group: a) LL. leucanthum, regale, sargentiae, sulphureum b) LL. formosanum, longiflorum, neilgherrense, philippinense, wallichianum 7. Dauricum group: LL. dauricum, maculatum

As mentioned at the beginning of this unit, some members of the Liliaceae, in the broad interpretation of the family, can be trees. This photo is of the fascinating Dracaena draco, dragon tree, which is native to the Canary Islands and Madeira.

Lilium ledebourii (Baker) Boiss.(Liliaceae)Taxonavigation: Superregnum: Eukarya Regnum: Plantae Divisio: Magnoliophyta Classis: Liliopsida Subclassis: Liliidae Ordo: Liliales Familia: Liliaceae Subfamilia: Lilioideae Genus: Lilium

Locally named Susan -e Chelcheragh is a native and rare species grown on the heights of Damash region (ca. 2100 m) in Gilan province, north part of Iran.The microscopic and anatomical features and the composition of oils of flower and corm of this unique plant were studied. The microscopic study has shown the main characteristic elements of leaf, stem, corm and flower of this plant. The composition of essential oils of flower and corm were determined by coupled GC-MS analysis. The yields of oils of flower and corm were 0.71 % and 1.65 % (v/w) respectively. The major components of flowers oil were isopulegol (55.15 %), pentacosane (18.1%), 3-methyltricosane (9.97%), tricosane (5.35%), 2methylpentacosane (4.35%), docosane (4.28%) and linalool oxide (2.20%). The components of corms oil were almost fatty acids. No

aromatic volatile compound was found in the corm oil. Primary qualitative phytochemical tests of stem, leaf, corm and flower showed positive results for alkaloid and flavonoid (one plus) in stem and for saponin (4 plus) in corm and (2 plus) in the flower. Tests for tannin in all parts were negative. Further phytochemical and botanical studies on this unique plant is of importance.

****In 1975 a British botanist (Ledebourii) discovered thisflower in northern provience of Iran called Gilan , Damash village ,except this place lilium lederbourii is seen just in the Republic of Azerbaijan (situated in north of Iran)and this species is not seen in any other place around the world. Lilium Lederbourii grows in July and the flowers have just 2 weekslifelong and cause of pendulous shape of them ,this flower is called chelcheragh which means (Chandelier) ,they are in white color .

Flower stem up to 60-100 cm. Bulb ovate, 5-7 cm diam., with many scales. Stem leaves lanceolate, up to 10-12 cm, marginally pubescent. Flowers 1-5, white, tiariform, 4-6 cm diam. Anthers bright scarlet. Flowers with fragrant. by bulb scales and seed. Prefers sunny places with good drainage, does not tolerate standing water. Extremely attractive. The gem of the genus. Lilium ledebourii [John Gilbert Baker= British botanist] [Pierre Edmond Boissier= Taxon Authorities , Botanists] , locally named Susanechelcheragh, is an endangered rare species endemic to Iran. This plant is growing natively on the heights Caucasus (Talysh) and northern Iran. Mid mountain zone, forest edges, grassy slopes at( 1,500-2,100 m )of Damash in the Gilan province, north part of Iran and it is under careful surveillance of regional Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA).It is a perennial plant with lanceolate yellowish scales and thick stem, 50-150 cm high. Leaves are erect, linear-lanceolate 10-14 1-2 cm, papillar on the nerves in lower surface and ciliate margined. Flowers are white, large raceme with 2-15 flowered, pedicel up to 13 cm long which ascending, or spreading-reflexed. Bracts are lanceolate, blue at summit. Flowering period is commonly in July. Fruits are in capsule form 30-45 x 25-32 mm, erect and obovate angular almost 6-angled . Literature search showed that no investigation has so far been carried out on the anatomy and phytochemistry of this species, which is mostly due to the specific characteristics of this plant. However, numerous reports were found on the phytochemistry of other species of Lilium genus which were almost entirely related to the bulbs of these species. Isolation of steroidal saponins , phenolic glycosides , flavonoid alkaloid pyrrolinepyrrolidine alkaloids from

the bulbs and antho-cyannins from flowers of several cultivars for certain species of Lilium genus have been reported. Bibliography of the Iranian old medical and botanical books revealed that what are used traditionally under the general name of Susan do not belong exactly to the Lilium genus, but are rather related to the Iris genus .White susan (probably L. candidum ) is described in the well known book of Avicenna, The Canon of Medicine . The bulbs, leaves and oil of the flower of this herb are considered to be useful for burns, injuries, inflammation and uterus disorders. The fresh and dried bulbs of L. candidum have been recently suggested to be useful in gynecological disorders, ulcer, burns, injuries and may be used as a diuretic. Furthermore, the bulbs of several other Lilium species exhibited a wide spectrum of biological activities . The aim of this study was to carry out, may be for the first time, a phytochemical and anatomical investigation on this rare plant in order to enrich scientific information of this species.

Floral Features :Actinomorphic (rarely zygomorphic) and perfect, often showy. Inflorescence a solitary flower or flowers borne in cymes, racemes,spikes or umbels. Hypogynous or epigynous with an hypanthium sometimes present.

Floral formulaThe flowers of Liliaceae have 3 sepals, 3 petals, 6 stamens, and a syncarpous gynoecium of 3 carpels; the ovary can be superior or inferior.In a few genera, the sepals and petals fuse into a tube and the stamens are epipetalous .The sepals and petals resemble each other in most members of the family. Note the 6 stamens and the versatile anthers.

DISCUSSION:Lilium ledebourii (Baker) Boiss is a rare endemic species grown on the height of Damash in north part of Iran. The phythochemical tests (Table 1) showed high quantity of saponins in corm and lower concentration in flowers. Saponins have exhibited a wide spectrum of biological activities , such as cholesterol lowering, interaction with steroidal hormone metabolism, digestive difficulties and others . The components of the essential oil of flower showed seven compounds. No aromatic compound was identified in the essential oil of flower. Isopulegol which consists about 55% of the essential oil of this plant has been reported as a coolant agent with a minty and herbaceous odor. The slight odor of flowers of this plant was approximately similar to the odor of isopulegol . It might be of value to mention that the highly purified (-)-isopulegol enantiomer, which imparts a feeling of freshness and has been used in sensate mixtures is odorless . Furthermore, (1R,2S,5R)-isopulegol and its carbonylated products have shown significant bactericidal activities . Pentacosane, the second major oil (18.01%) of flower of L. ledebourii is a hydrocarbon, which isolated from other plants such as Valeriana spp , Rosa species and from honey . Analysis of corms oil did not show any aromatic or volatile essential oil, but there were some fatty acids. Identification of fatty acids was not in the scope of this investigation; hereby we just reported what was presented by GC-MS. Microscopic characters of this plant, which is given probably for the first time, will enrich certainly the botanical information on this species.

Theses information put forth the importance of further phytochemical and botanical studies on this unique plant in spite of limited distribution of this plant.

Pune/ January 2007

Elham Peirovi