Native to India, Southeast Asia, northwest Australia, and Polynesia, it later spread to tropical and subtropical regions. In Southeast Asia, this plant is used to treat injuries and inflamed joints. In ancient times, in Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula, the white lily was used as an antidote for wounds from poison arrows.

It is commonly found near coasts, in lowlands up to 700 m above sea level, particularly in moist, humus-rich soils, along riverbanks, around lakes, and at forest edges. It grows in full sun or partial shade.

• The roots differentiate into layered tubers, 5-10 cm in diameter.

• The pseudostem is erect, soft, and greenish-white.

• The single leaves are lanceolate, 30-80 cm long, 4-8 cm wide, with parallel veins, green, fleshy leaves (carnosous), and thick, juicy.

• The flowers are compound, perfect, emerging from the leaf axils, umbrella-shaped, with the corolla bases close together to form a funnel, with the loose, ribbon-like tips. The corolla is attached to the stamen stalk, white, with a long pistil.

• The fruit is a capsule, 3-seeded, fleshy, laterally split, 1-2 cm long, and green.

• The seeds are round and flat, with a slimy skin.

Vegetative propagation (separation of tubers from the parent plant), generative (seeds).

Treats acne, rheumatism, dermatitis, boils, ulcers, whooping cough, worm medicine, makes childbirth easier.

Alkaloids (hymenolitatine, 11-hydroxyvittatine, 8-O-demethylmaritidine), trispheridine, tazettine, narciclasine, lycoricidine, flavonoids (quercetin 3'-O-glucoside, routine), pancratistatin.