Formosa lily

Lilium formosanum reaches a height of 120 to 150 cm. The bulbs are small, rounded and reach a diameter of around 2 to 4 cm. They consist of white to yellowish lanceolate scales. The stem is smooth to papillose and sometimes tinged with purple. The leaves are linear or narrow and lanceolate, 2.5 to 15 cm long and 4 to 13 mm wide. They are freely distributed around the stem. The plant blooms from June to December with one to five fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers in an umbel. The hermaphrodite flowers are threefold. The six identically shaped flower bracts are broadly spatulate and 11.5 to 14.5 cm long. The basic color of the flowers is pure white, the outside is purple. Each flower contains three carpels and six stamens. The anthers are about 10 mm long, the pollen is yellow, the filaments are very long, about 10 cm. The nectaries are green and papillose on both sides. The seeds ripen in slender 7 cm to 9 cm long seed capsules and germinate immediately above the soil surface.

This flower is favoured among the Rukai people who call this flower bariangalay, the Rukai often wear them in headdresses during special occasions or ceremonies.