''Lilium'' ( ) is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s growing from bulbs, all with large and often prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined by humans as being in the same celestial sphere, celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the Solar ...

and their range is

temperate climate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ra ...

s and extends into the

subtropics The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones immediately to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately ...

. Many other plants have "lily" in their

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

s, but do not belong to the same genus and are therefore not true lilies. True lilies are known to be highly toxic to cats.

Description

Lilies are tall

perennials In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

ranging in height from . They form naked or tunicless scaly underground

bulb In botany, a bulb is a short underground stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

s which are their organs of perennation. In some North American species the base of the bulb develops into

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

s, on which numerous small bulbs are found. Some species develop

stolon In biology, a stolon ( from Latin ''wikt:stolo, stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as a runner, is a horizontal connection between parts of an organism. It may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton. Typically, animal ...

s. Most bulbs are buried deep in the ground, but a few species form bulbs near the soil surface. Many species form stem-roots. With these, the bulb grows naturally at some depth in the soil, and each year the new stem puts out

adventitious Important structures in plant development are buds, shoots, roots, leaves, and flowers; plants produce these tissues and structures throughout their life from meristems located at the tips of organs, or between mature tissues. Thus, a living plant ...

roots above the bulb as it emerges from the soil. These roots are in addition to the basal roots that develop at the base of the bulb, a number of species also produce contractile roots that move the bulbs deeper into the soil. The flowers are large, often fragrant, and come in a wide range of colors including whites, yellows, oranges, pinks, reds and purples. Markings include spots and brush strokes. The plants are late spring- or summer-flowering. Flowers are borne in

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

s or

umbel UMBEL (Upper Mapping and Binding Exchange Layer) is a logically organized knowledge graph of 34,000 concepts and entity types that can be used in information science for relating information from disparate sources to one another. It was retired ...

s at the tip of the stem, with six

tepals A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of ve ...

spreading or reflexed, to give flowers varying from funnel shape to a "Turk's cap". The tepals are free from each other, and bear a

nectary Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists, ...

at the base of each flower. The ovary is 'superior', borne above the point of attachment of the

anthers The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

is a three-celled capsule.European Garden Flora; Volume 1 2012-01-04 17-57-36-lys

Seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s ripen in late summer. They exhibit varying and sometimes complex

germination Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, ...

patterns, many adapted to cool temperate climates. Most cool temperate species are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

and dormant in winter in their native environment. But a few species native to areas with hot summers and mild winters (''

Lilium candidum ''Lilium candidum'', the Madonna lily or white lily, is a plant in the Lilium, true lily family. It is native to the Balkans and Middle East, and naturalized in other parts of Europe, including France, Italy, and Ukraine, and in North Africa, the ...

'', ''

Lilium catesbaei ''Lilium catesbaei'', sometimes known as Catesby's lily, pine lily, leopard lily, tiger lily, or southern-red lily is a native of Florida and the coastal regions of the American Southeast, where it usually grows in damp areas from Louisiana to Vi ...

'', ''

Lilium longiflorum ''Lilium longiflorum'', often called the Easter lily, is a species of plant endemic to both Taiwan and Ryukyu Islands (Japan). '' Lilium formosanum'', a closely related species from Taiwan, has been treated as a variety of Easter lily in the past ...

'') lose their leaves and enter a short dormant period in summer or autumn, sprout from autumn to winter, forming dwarf stems bearing a basal rosette of leaves until, after they have received sufficient chilling, the stem begins to elongate in warming weather. Lilium candidum MHNT

The basic

chromosome number Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, ...

is twelve (n=12).

Taxonomy

Taxonomical division in

sections Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

follows the classical division of Comber, species acceptance follows the

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) was an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected p ...

, the taxonomy of section ''Pseudolirium'' is from the Flora of North America, the taxonomy of Section ''Liriotypus'' is given in consideration of Resetnik et al. 2007, the taxonomy of Chinese species (various sections) follows the Flora of China and the taxonomy of Section ''Sinomartagon'' follows Nishikawa et al. as does the taxonomy of Section ''Archelirion''. The ''Sinomartagon'' are divided in three

paraphyletic Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...

groups, while the ''Leucolirion'' are divided in two paraphyletic groups. There are seven sections: *''Martagon'' *''Pseudolirium'' *''Liriotypus'' *''Archelirion'' *''Sinomartagon'' *''Leucolirion'' *''Daurolirion'' There are 119 species counted in this genus. For a full list of accepted species with their native ranges, see List of Lilium species. Some species formerly included within this genus have now been placed in other genera. These genera include '' Cardiocrinum'', '' Notholirion'', and ''

Fritillaria ''Fritillaria'' (fritillaries) is a genus of spring flowering herbaceous bulbous perennial plants in the lily family (biology), family (Liliaceae). The type species, ''Fritillaria meleagris'', was first described in Europe in 1571, while other ...

''. Four other genuses, ''Lirium'', ''Martagon'', and ''Nomocharis'' are considered to

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

by most sources.

Etymology

The botanic name ''Lilium'' is the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

form and is a Linnaean name. The Latin name is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

word ''leírion'', generally assumed to refer to true, white lilies as exemplified by the Madonna lily. The word was borrowed from Coptic , from

Demotic Demotic may refer to: * Demotic Greek, the modern vernacular form of the Greek language * Demotic (Egyptian), an ancient Egyptian script and version of the language * Chữ Nôm Chữ Nôm (, ) is a logographic writing system formerly used t ...

, from

Egyptian ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...

"flower". , , was used by the Greeks, albeit for lilies of any color. The term "lily" has in the past been applied to numerous flowering plants, often with only superficial resemblance to the true lily, including

water lily Water lily or water lilies may refer to: Plants * Members of the family Nymphaeaceae Nymphaeaceae () is a family of flowering plants, commonly called water lilies. They live as rhizomatous aquatic herbs in temperate climate, temperate ...

, fire lily, lily of the Nile, calla lily,

trout lily ''Erythronium'', the fawn lily, trout lily, dog's-tooth violet or adder's tongue, is a genus of Eurasian and North American plants in the lily family, most closely related to tulips. The name Erythronium derives from Ancient Greek () "red" in ...

, kaffir lily, cobra lily,

lily of the valley Lily of the valley (''Convallaria majalis'' ), sometimes written lily-of-the-valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native throughout the cool temperate No ...

daylily A daylily, day lily or ditch-lily is a flowering plant in the genus ''Hemerocallis'' , a member of the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae, native to Asia. Despite the common name, it is not taxonomically classified in the lily gen ...

, ginger lily, Amazon lily, leek lily, Peruvian lily, and others. All English translations of the Bible render the Hebrew ''shūshan'', ''shōshan'', ''shōshannā'' as "lily", but the "lily among the thorns" of ''

Song of Solomon The Song of Songs (), also called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Solomon, is a biblical poem, one of the five ("scrolls") in the ('writings'), the last section of the Tanakh. Unlike other books in the Hebrew Bible, it is erotic poe ...

'', for instance, may be the honeysuckle.

Distribution and habitat

The range of lilies in the Old World extends across much of Europe, across most of Asia to Japan, south to India, and east to Indochina and the Philippines. In the New World they extend from southern Canada through much of the United States. They are commonly adapted to either woodland habitats, often

montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...

, or sometimes to grassland habitats. A few can survive in marshland and

epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

s are known in tropical southeast Asia. In general they prefer moderately acidic or lime-free soils.

Ecology

Lilies are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including the Dun-bar. The proliferation of deer (e.g. '' Odocoileus virginianus'') in North America, mainly due to factors such as the elimination of large predators for human safety, is responsible there for a downturn in lily populations in the wild and is a threat to garden lilies as well. Fences as high as 8 feet may be required to prevent them from consuming the plants, an impractical solution for most wild areas.

Cultivation

Many species are widely grown in the garden in

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

sub-tropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones immediately to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 3 ...

and

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

regions. Numerous ornamental hybrids have been developed. They are used in herbaceous borders, woodland and shrub plantings, and as patio plants. Some lilies, especially ''

'', form important

cut flower Cut flowers are flowers and flower buds (often with some stem and leaf) that have been cut from the plant bearing it. It is removed from the plant for decorative use. Cut greens are leaves with or without stems added to the cut flowers for con ...

crops or potted plants. These are forced to flower outside of the normal flowering season for particular markets; for instance, ''Lilium longiflorum'' for the Easter trade, when it may be called the Easter lily. Lilies are usually planted as bulbs in the dormant season. They are best planted in a south-facing (northern hemisphere), slightly sloping aspect, in sun or part shade, at a depth 2½ times the height of the bulb (except ''

'' which should be planted at the surface). Most prefer a porous, loamy soil, and good drainage is essential. Most species bloom in July or August (northern hemisphere). The flowering periods of certain lily species begin in late spring, while others bloom in late summer or early autumn. They have contractile roots which pull the plant down to the correct depth, therefore it is better to plant them too shallowly than too deep. A

soil pH Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. Soil pH is a key characteristic that can be used to make informative analysis both qualitative and quantitatively regarding soil characteristics. pH is defined as the neg ...

of around 6.5 is generally safe. Most grow best in well-drained soils, and plants are watered during the growing season. Some species and cultivars have strong wiry stems, but those with heavy flower heads are staked to stay upright.

Awards

The following lily species and

cultivars A cultivar is a kind of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and which retains those traits when propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue cult ...

currently hold the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

(confirmed 2017): Lilium Golden Splendour3

*African Queen Group (VI-/a) 2002 H6 *'Casa Blanca' (VIIb/b-c) 1993 H6 *'Fata Morgana' (Ia/b) 2002 H6 *'Garden Party' (VIIb/b) 2002 H6 *Golden Splendor Group (VIb-c/a) *'' Lilium henryi'' (IXc/d) 1993 H6 * ''

Lilium mackliniae ''Lilium mackliniae'', the Shirui lily or Shirui Kashong Timrawon, is a rare Indian species of plant found only in the upper reaches of the Shirui hill ranges in the Ukhrul district of Manipur, India, at an elevation of above sea level. It is l ...

'' (IXc/a) 2012 H5 * '' Lilium martagon'' – Turk's cap lily (IXc/d) * '' Lilium pardalinum'' – leopard lily (IXc/d) *Pink Perfection Group (VIb/a) * '' Lilium regale'' – regal lily, king's lily (IXb/a)

Classification of garden forms

Numerous forms, mostly hybrids, are grown for the garden. They vary according to the species and interspecific hybrids that they derived from, and are classified in the following broad groups:

Asiatic hybrids (Division I)

File:Lilium canadense.JPG File:Dwarf Asian Lily Tiny Dessert (closeup).jpg File:Lilium %27Navona%272.jpg File:Lily Festival 2009 Neepawa Manitoba Canada %2816%29.JPG File:Lilium Cappuccino.jpg File:Lilium Dimension.JPG : These are derived from hybrids between species in ''Lilium''

section Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

''Sinomartagon''. : They are derived from central and East Asian species and interspecific hybrids, including '' Lilium amabile'', '' Lilium bulbiferum'', '' Lilium callosum'', '' Lilium cernuum'', '' Lilium concolor'', '' Lilium dauricum'', ''

Lilium davidii ''Lilium davidii'' is an Asian species of plants in the Liliaceae, lily family, native to mountainous areas of Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tibet, Bhutan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.Mao, A.A. & Bhaumik, M. (2007). Notes o ...

'', '' Lilium × hollandicum'', '' Lilium lancifolium'' (syn. '' Lilium tigrinum''), '' Lilium lankongense'', '' Lilium leichtlinii'', '' Lilium × maculatum'', '' Lilium pumilum'', '' Lilium × scottiae'', '' Lilium wardii'' and '' Lilium wilsonii''. : These are plants with medium-sized, upright or outward facing flowers, mostly unscented. There are various cultivars such as Lilium 'Cappuccino', Lilium 'Dimension', Lilium 'Little Kiss' and Lilium 'Navona'. * Dwarf (Patio, Border) varieties are much shorter, c.36–61 cm in height and were designed for containers. They often bear the cultivar name 'Tiny', such as the 'Lily Looks' series, e.g. 'Tiny Padhye', 'Tiny Dessert'.

Martagon hybrids (Division II)

File:Lilium %27Claude Shride%27 2013 013.JPG File:Lilium %27Kalna Karalis%27 2013 015.JPG File:Lilium %27Manitoba Fox%27 007.JPG File:Lilium %27Mrs R.O.Backhouse%27 (cropped).jpg File:Lilium %27Slate%27s Morning%27.jpg File:Lilium, Hare Hill, Cheshire 2c.jpg :These are based on '' Lilium dalhansonii'', '' Lilium hansonii'', '' Lilium martagon'', '' Lilium medeoloides'', and '' Lilium tsingtauense''. :The flowers are nodding, Turk's cap style (with the petals strongly recurved).

Candidum (Euro-Caucasian) hybrids (Division III)

File:Lilium x testaceum.jpg : This includes mostly European species: ''

'', '' Lilium chalcedonicum'', '' Lilium kesselringianum'', '' Lilium monadelphum'', '' Lilium pomponium'', '' Lilium pyrenaicum'' and '' Lilium × testaceum''.

American hybrids (Division IV)

: These are mostly taller growing forms, originally derived from '' Lilium bolanderi'', '' Lilium × burbankii'', '' Lilium canadense'', '' Lilium columbianum'', '' Lilium grayi'', '' Lilium humboldtii'', '' Lilium kelleyanum'', '' Lilium kelloggii'', '' Lilium maritimum'', '' Lilium michauxii'', '' Lilium michiganense'', '' Lilium occidentale'', '' Lilium × pardaboldtii'', '' Lilium pardalinum'', '' Lilium parryi'', '' Lilium parvum'', ''

Lilium philadelphicum ''Lilium philadelphicum'', also known as the wood lily, flame lily, Philadelphia lily, prairie lily, or western red lily, is a perennial species of Lilium, lily native to North America. Distribution The plant is widely distributed in much of Ca ...

'', '' Lilium pitkinense'', '' Lilium superbum'', '' Lilium ollmeri'', '' Lilium washingtonianum'', and '' Lilium wigginsii''. :Many are clump-forming perennials with rhizomatous rootstocks.

Longiflorum hybrids (Division V)

: These are cultivated forms of this species and its subspecies. :They are most important as plants for

cut flowers Cut flowers are flowers and flower buds (often with some Plant stem, stem and leaf) that have been cut from the plant bearing it. It is removed from the plant for decorative use. Cut greens are leaves with or without stems added to the cut flow ...

, and are less often grown in the garden than other hybrids.

Trumpet lilies (Division VI), including Aurelian hybrids (with ''L. henryi'')

File:Lilium x African Queen.jpg File:Lilium %27Fanfare%27.jpg File:Lilium Pink Perfection1f.UME.jpg File:Lilium x Dresdener Romance.jpg File:Lilium x aurelianense1MTFL.jpg : This group includes hybrids of many Asiatic species and their interspecific hybrids, including '' Lilium × aurelianense'', '' Lilium brownii'', '' Lilium × centigale'', '' Lilium henryi'', '' Lilium × imperiale'', '' Lilium × kewense'', '' Lilium leucanthum'', '' Lilium regale'', '' Lilium rosthornii'', '' Lilium sargentiae'', '' Lilium sulphureum'' and '' Lilium × sulphurgale''. :The flowers are trumpet shaped, facing outward or somewhat downward, and tend to be strongly fragrant, often especially night-fragrant.

Oriental hybrids (Division VII)

File:Oriental hybrid1 (cropped).jpg File:Smithsoniangardens1.jpg File:Lilium Dizzy.jpg File:Lilium x Universe.jpg File:Lilium Golden Stargazer.jpg File:Lilium %27Marco Polo%27 Flower 2580px.jpg : These are based on hybrids within ''Lilium''

''Archelirion'', specifically ''

Lilium auratum ''Lilium auratum'' (, literally "mountain lily") is one of the true lilies. It is native to Japan and is sometimes called the golden-rayed lily or the goldband lily. Description The flower colour is typically white with gold radial markings ...

'' and '' Lilium speciosum'', together with crossbreeds from several species native to Japan, including '' Lilium nobilissimum'', '' Lilium rubellum'', '' Lilium alexandrae'', and '' Lilium japonicum''. :They are fragrant, and the flowers tend to be outward facing. Plants tend to be tall, and the flowers may be quite large. The whole group are sometimes referred to as "stargazers" because many of them appear to look upwards. (For the specific cultivar, see ''Lilium'' 'Stargazer'.)

Other hybrids (Division VIII)

File:Lilium 'Royal Trinity' 03.JPG File:Lilium x Sea Treasure.jpg File:Lilium x Red Alert.jpg File:Lilium 'Anastasiya' 03.JPG File:Lily -- Lilium 'Tiny Double You'.jpg, File:Lilium 'Eyeliner' 06.JPG File:Dwarf Asiatic Lily Hybrid-Lilium 'Matrix'-Offnfopt 4635.JPG : Includes all other garden hybrids.

Species (Division IX)

: All natural species and naturally occurring forms are included in this group. The flowers can be classified by flower aspect and form: * Flower aspect: :*a up-facing :*b out-facing :*c down-facing * Flower form: :*a trumpet-shaped :*b bowl-shaped :*c flat (or with tepal tips recurved) :*d tepals strongly recurved (with the Turk's cap form as the ultimate state) Many newer commercial varieties are developed by using new technologies such as ovary culture and embryo rescue.

Pests and diseases

Aphids Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...

may infest plants. Leatherjackets feed on the roots.

Larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of the Scarlet lily beetle can cause serious damage to the stems and leaves. The scarlet beetle lays its eggs and completes its life cycle only on true lilies (''Lilium'') and fritillaries (''

''). Oriental, rubrum, tiger and trumpet lilies as well as Oriental trumpets (orienpets) and Turk's cap lilies and native North American ''Lilium'' species are all vulnerable, but the beetle prefers some types over others. The beetle could also be having an effect on native Canadian species and some rare and endangered species found in northeastern North America. Daylilies (''Hemerocallis'', not true lilies) are excluded from this category. Plants can suffer from damage caused by mice, deer and squirrels. Slugs, snails and millipedes attack seedlings, leaves and flowers. Brown spots on damp leaves may signal an infection of '' Botrytis elliptica'', also known as Lily blight, lily fire, and botrytis leaf blight. Various viral diseases can cause mottling of leaves and stunting of growth, including lily curl stripe, ringspot, and lily rosette virus.

Propagation and growth

Lilies can be propagated in several ways; * by division of the bulbs * by growing-on

bulbil A bulbil (also referred to as a bulbel, bulblet, and/or pup) is a small, young plant that is reproduced vegetatively from axillary buds on the parent plant's stem or in place of a flower on an inflorescence. These young plants are clones of the p ...

s which are

bulbs formed on the stem * by scaling, for which whole scales are detached from the bulb and planted to form a new bulb * by seed; there are many seed germination patterns, which can be complex * by

micropropagation Micropropagation or tissue culture is the practice of rapidly multiplying plant stock material to produce many progeny plants, using modern plant tissue culture methods. Micropropagation is used to multiply a wide variety of plants, such as ...

techniques (which include

tissue culture Tissue culture is the growth of tissue (biology), tissues or cell (biology), cells in an artificial medium separate from the parent organism. This technique is also called micropropagation. This is typically facilitated via use of a liquid, semi-s ...

); commercial quantities of lilies are often propagated

in vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning ''in glass'', or ''in the glass'') Research, studies are performed with Cell (biology), cells or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in ...

and then planted out to grow into plants large enough to sell. A highly efficient technique for multiple shoot and propagule formation was given by Yadav et al., in 2013. Plant grow regulators (PGRs) are used to limit the height of lilies, especially those sold as potted plants. Commonly used

chemical A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...

s include ancymidol, fluprimidol, paclobutrazol, and uni-conazole, all of which are applied to the foliage to slow the biosynthesis of

gibberellin Gibberellins (GAs) are plant hormones that regulate various Biological process, developmental processes, including Plant stem, stem elongation, germination, dormancy, flowering, flower development, and leaf and fruit senescence. They are one of th ...

s, a class of

plant hormone Plant hormones (or phytohormones) are signal molecules, produced within plants, that occur in extremely low concentrations. Plant hormones control all aspects of plant growth and development, including embryogenesis, the regulation of Organ (anat ...

s responsible for stem growth.

Research

A comparison of

meiotic Meiosis () is a special type of cell division of germ cells in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, the sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately result in four cells, each with only one copy ...

crossing-over ( recombination) in lily and mouse led, in 1977, to the conclusion that diverse

eukaryote The eukaryotes ( ) constitute the Domain (biology), domain of Eukaryota or Eukarya, organisms whose Cell (biology), cells have a membrane-bound cell nucleus, nucleus. All animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, seaweeds, and many unicellular organisms ...

s share a common pattern of meiotic crossing-over. ''

'' has been used for studying aspects of the basic molecular mechanism of genetic recombination during meiosis.

Toxicity

Some ''Lilium'' species are toxic to

cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

s. This is known to be so especially for ''

'', though other ''Lilium'' and the unrelated '' Hemerocallis'' can also cause the same symptoms with equal lethality. The true mechanism of toxicity is undetermined, but it involves damage to the renal tubular epithelium (composing the substance of the kidney and secreting, collecting, and conducting urine), which can cause acute

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney fa ...

. Veterinary help should be sought, as a matter of urgency, for any cat that is suspected of eating any part of a lily – including licking pollen that may have brushed onto its coat. Due to the high mortality rate, medical care should be sought immediately once it is known a cat came into contact with lilies, ideally before any symptoms develop.

Culinary uses

Chinese cuisine

Lily bulbs are

starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diet ...

y and edible as

root vegetable Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans or animals as food. In agricultural and culinary terminology, the term applies to true roots, such as taproots and root tubers, as well as non-roots such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and ...

s, though bulbs of some species may be too bitter to eat. ''Lilium brownii'' var. ''viridulum'', known as 百合 (''pak hop''; ), is one of the most prominent edible lilies in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. Its bulbs are large in size and not bitter. They were even exported and sold in the San Francisco Chinatown in the 19th century, available both fresh and dry. A landrace called 龍牙百合 () mainly cultivated in

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

and

Jiangxi ; Gan: ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = , translit_lang1_type3 = , translit_lang1_info3 = , image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_caption = Location ...

is especially renowned for its good-quality bulbs. '' L. lancifolium'' () is widely cultivated in China, especially in

Yixing Yixing () is a county-level city administered under the prefecture-level city of Wuxi in southern Jiangsu province, China, and is part of the Yangtze Delta, Yangtze River Delta. The city is known for its traditional Yixing ware, Yixing clay ware t ...

Huzhou Huzhou (, ; Huzhou dialect: Romanization of Wu Chinese, ''ghou² cieu¹'') is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province (Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou Plain, China). Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzho ...

and Longshan. Its bulbs are slightly bitter. ''L. davidii'' var. ''unicolor'' () is mainly cultivated in

Lanzhou Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu province in northwestern China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further west by rail to the eastern half of the country. His ...

and its bulbs are valued for sweetness. Other edible Chinese lilies include ''L. brownii'' var. ''brownii'', ''L. davidii'' var. ''davidii'', '' L. concolor'', '' L. pensylvanicum'', '' L. distichum'', ''L. martagon'' var. ''pilosiusculum'', '' L. pumilum'', '' L. rosthornii'' and ''L. speciosum'' var. ''gloriosoides''. Researchers have also explored the possibility of using ornamental cultivars as edible lilies. The dried bulbs are commonly used in the south to flavor soup. They may be reconstituted and

stir-fried Stir frying ( zh, c= 炒, p=chǎo, w=ch'ao3, cy=cháau) is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries ...

, grated and used to thicken

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot – though it is sometimes served chilled – made by cooking or otherwise combining meat or vegetables with Stock (food), stock, milk, or water. According to ''The Oxford Compan ...

, or processed to extract starch. Their texture and taste draw comparisons with the

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

, although the individual bulb scales are much smaller. The commonly marketed "lily" flower buds, called ''kam cham tsoi'' () in

Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from Greater China, China, as well as from Overseas Chinese, Chinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and the historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine ...

, are actually from daylilies, '' Hemerocallis citrina'', or possibly '' H. fulva''. Flowers of the '' H. graminea'' and '' Lilium bulbiferum'' were reported to have been eaten as well, but samples provided by the informant were strictly daylilies and did not include ''L. bulbiferum''. Lily flowers and bulbs are eaten especially in the summer, for their perceived ability to reduce internal heat. A 19th century English source reported that "Lily flowers are also said to be efficacious in pulmonary affections, and to have tonic properties". Asiatic lily cultivars are also imported from the Netherlands; the seedling bulbs must be imported from the Netherlands every year. The parts of ''Lilium'' species which are officially listed as food material in Taiwan are the flower and bulbs of '' Lilium lancifolium'', ''Lilium brownii'' var. ''viridulum'', '' Lilium pumilum'' and ''

''.

Japanese cuisine

The lily bulb or ''yuri-ne'' is sometimes used in Japanese cuisine. It may be most familiar in the present day as an occasional in the chawan-mushi (savoury egg custard), where a few loosened scales of this optional ingredient are found embedded in the "hot pudding" of each serving. It could also be used as an ingredient in a clear soup or . The boiled bulb may also be strained into

purée A purée (or mash) is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, that has been ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a creamy paste or liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., appl ...

for use, as in the sweetened ''kinton'', or ''chakin-shibori''.

Yokan

There is also the ''yuri- yōkan'', one recipe of which calls for combining measures of yuri starch with

agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from " ogonori" and " tengusa". As found in nature, agar is a mixture of two components, t ...

dissolved in water and sugar. This was a specialty of Hamada, Shimane, and the shop established in 1885 became famous for it. Because a certain Viscount Jimyōin wrote a waka poem about the confection which mentioned ''hime-yuri'' "princess lily", one source stated that the ''hime-yuri'' (usually taken to mean '' L. concolor'') had to have been used, but another source points out that the city of Hamada lies back to back with across a mountain range with Fuchu, Hiroshima which is renowned for its production of ''yama-yuri'' ('' L. auratum'').

Species used

Current Japanese governmental sources () list the following lily species as prominent in domestic consumption: the ''oni yuri'' or tiger lily '' Lilium lancifolium'', the ''kooni yuri'' ''Lilium leichtlinii'' var. ''maximowiczii'', and the gold-banded white ''yama-yuri'' ''L. auratum''. But Japanese sources c. 1895–1900, give a top-three list which replaces ''kooni yuri'' with the named from the gaps between the

. There is uncertainty regarding which species is meant by the ''hime-yuri'' used as food, because although this is usually the common name for '' L. concolor'' in most up-to-date literature, it used to ambiguously referred to the tiger lily as well, c. 1895–1900. The non-tiger-lily ''himeyuri'' is certainly described as quite palatable in the literature at the time, but the extent of exploitation could not have been as significant.

North America

The flower buds and roots of '' Lilium columbianum'' are traditionally gathered and eaten by North American indigenous peoples.

Coast Salish The Coast Salish peoples are a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak on ...

Nuu-chah-nulth The Nuu-chah-nulth ( ; ), also formerly referred to as the Nootka, Nutka, Aht, Nuuchahnulth or Tahkaht, are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in Canada. The term Nuu-chah-nulth is used to describe fifteen related tri ...

and most western Washington peoples steam, boil or pit-cook the bulbs of '' Lilium columbianum''. Bitter or peppery-tasting, they were mostly used as a flavoring, often in soup with meat or fish.

Medicinal uses

Traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...

list the use of the following: 野百合 '' Lilium brownii'', 百合 ''Lilium brownii'' var. ''viridulum'', 渥丹 '' Lilium concolor'', 毛百合 '' Lilium dauricum'', 卷丹 '' Lilium lancifolium'', 山丹 '' Lilium pumilum'', 南川百合 '' Lilium rosthornii'', 药百合'' Lilium speciosum'' var. ''gloriosoides'', 淡黄花百合 '' Lilium sulphureum''. In Taiwan, governmental publications list '' Lilium lancifolium'' Thunb., ''Lilium brownii'' var. ''viridulum'' Baker, '' Lilium pumilum'' DC. In the '' kanpō'' or Chinese medicine as practiced in Japan, the official Japanese governmental

pharmacopeia A pharmacopoeia, pharmacopeia, or pharmacopoea (or the typographically obsolete rendering, ''pharmacopœia''), meaning "drug-making", in its modern technical sense, is a reference work containing directions for the identification of compound med ...

includes the use of lily bulb (known as in traditional pharmacological circles), listing the use of the following species: '' Lilium lancifolium'', '' Lilium brownii'', ''Lilium brownii'' var. ''colchesteri'', '' Lilium pumilum''
index
The scales flaked off from the bulbs are used, usually steamed. In South Korea, the lilium species which are officially listed for medicinal use are 참나리 '' Lilium lancifolium'' Thunberg; 당나리 ''Lilium brownii'' var. ''viridulun'' Baker.

In culture

Symbolism

In the Victorian

language of flowers Floriography (language of flowers) is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in tradition ...

, lilies portray love, ardor, and affection for your loved ones, while orange lilies stand for happiness, love, and warmth. Lilies are the flowers most commonly used at funerals, where they symbolically signify that the soul of the deceased has been restored to the state of innocence. '' Lilium formosanum'', or Taiwanese lily, is called "the flower of broken bowl" () by the elderly members of the

Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka-speaking Chinese, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas, are a southern Han Chinese subgroup whose principal settlements and ancestral homes are dispersed widely across the provinces of southern China ...

ethnic group. They believe that because this lily grows near bodies of clean water, harming the lily may damage the environment, just like breaking the bowls that people rely on. A different viewpoint proposes that parents discourage kids from picking lilies by informing them of the possible repercussions, like their dinner bowls breaking if they harm the flower. The indigenous

Rukai people The Rukai (Rukai language, Rukai: ) are one of the Taiwanese aborigines, indigenous people of Taiwan. They consist of six communities residing in southern Taiwan (Budai, Labuan, Tanan, Maga, Mantauran, and Tona), each of which has its own dialect ...

who call this same species ''bariangalay'' consider it as a symbol of bravery and perseverance. In Western Christianity, Madonna lily or ''

'' has been associated with the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

since at least the Medieval Era. Medieval and Renaissance depictions of the Virgin Mary, especially at the

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

, often show her with these flowers. Madonna lilies are also commonly included in depictions of Christ's resurrection. ''

'', the Easter lily, is a symbol of Easter, and ''

'', the Madonna lily, carries a great deal of symbolic value in many cultures. See the articles for more information.

Heraldry

'' Lilium bulbiferum'' has long been recognised as a symbol of the

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. ''

'' is the state flower of

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

. '' Lilium michauxii'', the Carolina lily, is the official state flower of

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Idyllwild, California, hosts the Lemon Lily Festival, which celebrates '' Lilium parryi''.Lemon Lily Festival
''

'' is the floral emblem of

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

province in Canada, and is on the

flag of Saskatchewan The provincial flag of Saskatchewan was adopted in 1969. It is blazoned Division of the field#Common divisions of the field, per fess Vert (heraldry), vert and Or (heraldry), or, in the fly a Lilium philadelphicum, prairie lily slipped and leaved ...

., designated in 1941.

Other plants referred to as lilies

Lily of the valley Lily of the valley (''Convallaria majalis'' ), sometimes written lily-of-the-valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native throughout the cool temperate No ...

, flame lilies, daylilies,

water lilies ''Water Lilies'' ( ) is a series of approximately 250 oil paintings by French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840–1926). The paintings depict his flower garden at his home in Giverny, and were the main focus of his artistic production during ...

and spider lilies are symbolically important flowers commonly referred to as lilies, but they are not in the genus ''Lilium''.

Explanatory notes

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * "yuri ユリ", in , digested from ''Shin shikunshi''. ** Seika-en Sanjin 精花園山人 "Hana-yuri 花百合", in

External links

The Plant List

North American Lily Society

Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group

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Time-lapse videos
THE GENUS LILIUM
*

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20130605062624/http://www.liliumbreeding.nl/polygon.htm Crossing polygon of the genus Lilium
Bulb flower production; Lilies, International Flower Bulb Centre

Lily Picture Book, International Flower Bulb Centre

Flora

Flora Europaea: ''Lilium''

Flora of China: ''Lilium''

Flora of Nepal: ''Lilium'' species list

Flora of North America: ''Lilium''
{{Authority control Bulbous plants Garden plants Liliaceae genera Root vegetables Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus