Rare beauty
G.V. JOSHI
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The Shirui Lily is a seasonal flower and is at its best from May to June.
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Shirui Lily (also called Siroy Lily) is a Himalayan flower. Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae), known as Shirui Kashung Timrawon, in Manipuri language, is a rare and endangered species common to Manipur. It is the state flower of Manipur.
It grows in the Ukhrul district of Manipur at an elevation of 1730-2590m above sea level. It grows best in partial shade with abundant humus, preferably leaf mould, and kept moist at all times.
In 1946, Dr. Frank Ward, a botanist and his wife Jean Macklin came to the Manipur hills to collect botanical specimens on behalf of the New York Botanical Society and made the sensational discovery of the Shirui Lily. It bagged the prestigious merit prize in the 1948 Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show in London. It was named after Jean Macklin.
Shirui Lilies are seasonal flowering plants and are at their best in May and June when they bloom. The peak season is between May 15 and June 5. The plant grows to a height of 30 cm to one metre and bears one to seven flowers a plant. The flower is light pink in colour and its beauty lies in its bell shaped petals.
There is a general feeling among naturalists that the habitat of the famed Shirui Lily has been considerably diminished by uncontrolled human intrusion.
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