Lily Lembah

Convallaria majalis L.

 

Convallaria majalis commonly known as the Lily of the Valley, is a poisonous woodland flowering plant native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemispere in Asia, Europe, and in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States.

It is possibly the only species in the genus Convallaria (or one of two or three, if C. keiskei and C. transcaucasica are recognised as separate species). In the APG III system, the genus is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae). It was formerly placed in its own family Convallariaceae, or earlier, like many liliod monocots, in the lily family Liliaceae.

A limited native population occurs in Eastern USA (Convallaria majalis var. montana). There is, however, some debate as to the native status of the American variety.

Description

C. majalis is a herbaceous perennial plant that forms extensive colonies by spreading underground stems called rhizomes. New upright shoots are formed at the ends of stolon in summer^, these upright dormant stems are often called pips. These grow in the spring into new leafy shoots that still remain connected to the other shoots under ground, often forming extensive colonies. The stems grow to 15–30 cm tall, with one or two leaves 10–25 cm long, flowering stems have two leaves and a raceme of 5–15 flowers on the stem apex. The flowers are white tepals (rarely pink), bell-shaped, 5–10 mm diameter, and sweetly scented; flowering is in late spring, in mild winters in the Northern Hemisphere it is in early March. The fruit is a small orange-red berry 5–7 mm diameter that contains a few large whitish to brownish colored seeds that dry to a clear translucent round bead 1–3 mm wide. Plants are self-sterile, and colonies consisting of a single clone do not set seed.

Taxonomy

Kingdom     : Plantae

Class           : Angiospermae

Sub class     : Monocotyledonae

Ordo           : Asparagales

Family         : Asparagaceae

Sub family   : Nolinoideae

Genus         : Convallaria 

Species       : Convallaria majalis

There are three varieties that have sometimes been separated out as distinct species or subspecies by some botanists.

• Convallaria majalis var. keiskei - from China and Japan, with red fruit and bowl-shaped flowers (now widely cited as Convallaria keiskei)
• C. majalis var. majalis - from Eurasia, with white midribs on the flowers
• C. majalis var. montana - from the USA, with green-tinted midribs on the flowers

Convallaria transcaucasica is recognised as a distinct species by some authorities, while the species formerly called Convallaria japonica is now classified as Ophiopogon japonicus.

Garden Use

Convallaria majalis is a popular garden plant, grown for its scented flowers and for its ground-covering abilities in shady locations. Some consider it a weed, as it can spread 0,75 to 1 feet or spread over a wide area in gardens and can be difficult to contain or remove.

Various kinds and cultivars are grown, including those with double flowers, rose-colored flowers, variegated foliage and ones that grow larger than the typical species.

• C. majalis 'Albostriata' has white-striped leaves
• C. majalis 'Green Tapestry', 'Haldon Grange', 'Hardwick Hall', 'Hofheim', 'Marcel', 'Variegata' and 'Vic Pawlowski's Gold' are other variegated cultivars
• C. majalis 'Berlin Giant' and C. majalis 'Géant de Fortin' (syn. 'Fortin's Giant') are larger-growing cultivars
• C. majalis 'Flore Pleno' has double flowers^.
• C. majalis 'Rosea' sometimes found under the name C. majalis var. rosea, has pink flowers.

Traditionally Convallaria majalis has been grown in pots 0,5 to 1 feet and winter forced to provide flowers during the winter months, both for as potted plants and as cut flowers.

Description in garden

Height                   : 0.5 to 1 feet

Spread                  : 0.75 to 1 feet

Bloom Time           : April

Bloom Color          : White

Bloom Description  : White

Sun                         : Part shade to full shade

Water                     : Medium

Maintenance           : Low

Flowers                  : Showy Flowers, Fragrant Flowers

Tolerates                : Clay Soil, Dense Shade, Deer, Rabbits

Uses                       : Cut Flower, Groundcover, Erosion Control, Will Naturalize

 

Used

Lily of the valley is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Grey Chi

Toxicity

All parts of the plant are highly poisonous, including the red berries which may be attractive to children^. If ingested—even in small amounts—the plant can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and a reduced heart rate^. Roughly 38 different cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) have been found in the plant, some among others:

• convallaris
• convallamarin
• convallatoxin
• convallotoxoloside
• convallosid
• neoconvalloside
• glucoconvalloside
• majaloside
• convallatoxon
• corglycon
• cannogenol-3-O-α-L- rhamnoside
• cannogenol-3-O-β-D-allomethyloside
• cannogenol-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-β-D-glucoside,
• cannogenol-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-α-L-rhamnoside,
• strophanthidin-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-α-L-rhamnoside,
• strophanthidin-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-α-L-arabinoside,
• strophanthidin-3-O-α-L-rhamnosido-2-β-D-glucoside,
• sarmentogenin-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-α-L-rhamnoside
• sarmentogenin-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-guloside
• 19-hydroxy-sarmentogenin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside,
• 19-hydroxy-sarmentogenin
• arabinosido-6-deoxyallose
• lokundjoside

The plant also contains saponins. Although deadly, the plant has been used as a folk remedy in moderate amounts^, and is currently used by herbalist as a restricted herbal remedy.

Source :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_of_the_Valley
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/c250/convallaria-majalis.aspx