Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large
prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and
literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the temperate northern hemisphere,
though their range extends into the northern subtropics. Many other plants have "lily"
in their common name but are not related to true lilies.
Names The botanic name Lilium is the Latin form
and is a Linnaean name. The Latin name is derived from the Greek λείριον, leírion,
generally assumed to refer to true, white lilies as exemplified by the Madonna lily.
The word was borrowed from Coptic hleri, from standard hreri, from Demotic hrry, from Egyptian
hrṛt "flower". Meillet maintains that both the Egyptian and the Greek word are possible
loans from an extinct, substratum language of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greeks also
used the word κρῖνον, krīnon, albeit for non-white lilies.
The term "lily" has in the past been applied to numerous flowering plants, often with only
superficial resemblance to the true lily, including lotus, Agapanthus, Zantedeschia,
daylily, 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, for instance,
may be the honeysuckle. For a list of other species described as lilies,
see Lily. Description
Lilies are tall perennials ranging in height from 2–6 ft. They form naked or tunicless
scaly underground bulbs which are their overwintering organs. In some North American species the
base of the bulb develops into rhizomes, on which numerous small bulbs are found. Some
species develop stolons. Most bulbs are deeply buried, 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 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. The flowers are large, often fragrant, and
come in a range of colours 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 racemes or umbels at the tip of the stem, with six tepals 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 at the base of each flower. The ovary is 'superior',
borne above the point of attachment of the anthers. The fruit is a three-celled capsule.
Seeds ripen in late summer. They exhibit varying and sometimes complex germination patterns,
many adapted to cool temperate climates. Naturally most cool temperate species are
deciduous and dormant in winter in their native environment. But a few species which distribute
in hot summer and mild winter area lose leaves and remain relatively short dormant in Summer
or Autumn, sprout from Autumn to winter, forming dwarf stem bearing a basal rosette of leaves
until accept enough chilling requirement, the stem begins to elongate while warming.
Taxonomy Taxonomical division in sections follows the
classical division of Comber, species acceptance follows the World Checklist of Selected Plant
Families, 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 follows the Flora of China and the taxonomy of Section Archelirion follows Nishikawa
et al. as does the taxonomy of Section Archelirion. There are seven sections;
Martagon Pseudolirium
Liriotypus Archelirion
Sinomartagon Leucolirion
Daurolirion Some species formerly included within this
genus have now been placed in other genera. These genera include Cardiocrinum, Notholirion,
Nomocharis and Fritillaria. Section Martagon
Section Pseudolirium Section Liriotypus
Section Archelirion Section Sinomartagon
Section Leucolirion Section Daurolirion
Section not specified 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, or sometimes to grassland habitats. A few
can survive in marshland and epiphytes 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 larvae
of some Lepidoptera species including the Dun-bar.
Cultivation Many species are widely grown in the garden
in temperate and sub-tropical regions. They may also be grown as potted plants. Numerous
ornamental hybrids have been developed. They can be used in herbaceous borders, woodland
and shrub plantings, and as patio plants. Some lilies, especially Lilium longiflorum,
form important cut flower crops. These may be forced for particular markets; for instance,
L. 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, slightly sloping aspect, in sun or part shade, at a depth 2½ times the
height of the bulb. Most prefer a porous, loamy soil, and good drainage is essential.
Most species bloom in July or August. 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 of around 6.5 is generally safe. The soil should
be well-drained, and plants must be kept watered during the growing season. Some plants have
strong wiry stems, but those with heavy flower heads may need staking.
Awards Below is a list of lily species and cultivars
that have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
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 are derived from hybrids between species in Lilium section Sinomartagon. These
are plants with medium sized, upright or outward facing flowers, mostly unscented. They are
derived from central and East Asian species and interspecific hybrids, including L. amabile,
L. bulbiferum, L. callosum, L. cernuum, L. concolor, L. dauricum, L. davidii, L. × hollandicum,
L. lancifolium, L. lankongense, L. leichtlinii, L. × maculatum, L. pumilum, L. × scottiae,
L. wardii and L. wilsonii. Dwarf varieties are much shorter, c.36-61cm
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. These are based on L. × dalhansonii, L. hansonii, L. martagon, L. medeoloides
and L. tsingtauense. The flowers are nodding, Turk's cap style.
Candidum hybrids. This includes mostly European species: L. candidum, L. chalcedonicum,
L. kesselringianum, L. monadelphum, L. pomponium, L. pyrenaicum and L. × testaceum.
American hybrids. These are mostly taller growing forms, originally derived from L. bolanderi,
L. × burbankii, L. canadense, L. columbianum, L. grayi, L. humboldtii, L. kelleyanum,
L. kelloggii, L. maritimum, L. michauxii, L. michiganense, L. occidentale, L. × pardaboldtii,
L. pardalinum, L. parryi, L. parvum, L. philadelphicum, L. pitkinense, L. superbum, L. ollmeri,
L. washingtonianum and L. wigginsii. Many are clump-forming perennials with rhizomatous
rootstocks. Longiflorum hybrids. These are cultivated
forms of this species and its subspecies. They are most important as plants for cut
flowers, and are less often grown in the garden than other hybrids.
Trumpet lilies, including Aurelian hybrids. This group includes hybrids of many Asiatic
species and their interspecific hybrids, including L. × aurelianense, L. brownii, L. × centigale,
L. henryi, L. × imperiale, L. × kewense, L. leucanthum, L. regale, L. rosthornii,
L. sargentiae, L. sulphureum and L. × sulphurgale. The flowers are trumpet shaped, facing outward
or somewhat downward, and tend to be strongly fragrant, often especially night-fragrant.
Oriental hybrids. These are based on hybrids within Lilium section Archelirion,￼ specifically
L. auratum and L. speciosum, together with crossbreeds from several species native to
Japan, including L. nobilissimum, L. rubellum, L. alexandrae, and L. 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. Other hybrids. Includes all other garden hybrids.
Species. 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 d tepals strongly recurved
Many newer commercial varieties are developed by using new technologies such as ovary culture
and embryo rescue. Pests and diseases
Aphids may infest plants. Leatherjackets feed on the roots. Larvae 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. Oriental, rubrum, tiger and trumpet lilies
as well as Oriental trumpets and Turk's cap lilies and native North American lily species
are all vulnerable, but the beetle prefers some types. The beetle could also be having
an effect on native Canada species and some rare and endangered species found in northeastern
North America. Day 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 botrytis. Various fungal and viral
diseases can cause mottling of leaves and stunting of growth.
Propagation and growth Lilies can be propagated in several ways;
by division of the bulbs by growing-on bulbils which are adventitious
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 techniques; commercial
quantities of lilies are often propagated in vitro and then planted out to grow into
plants large enough to sell. According to a study done by Anna Pobudkiewicz
and Jadwiga the use of flurprimidol foliar spray helps aid in the limitation of stem
elongation in oriental lilies. Toxicity
Some Lilium species are toxic to cats. This is known to be so especially for L. longiflorum
though other Lilium and the unrelated Hemerocallis can also cause the same symptoms. The true
mechanism of toxicity is undetermined, but it involves damage to the renal tubular epithelium,
which can cause acute renal failure. 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. Culinary and herb uses
China Lilium bulbs are starchy and edible as root
vegetables, although bulbs of some species may be very bitter. The non-bitter bulbs of
L. lancifolium, L. pumilum, and especially L. brownii and Lilium davidii var unicolor
are grown on a large scale in China as a luxury or health food, and are most often sold in
dry form for herb, the fresh form often appears with other vegetables. The dried bulbs are
commonly used in the south to flavor soup. Lily flowers are also said to be efficacious
in pulmonary affections, and to have tonic properties. Lily flowers and bulbs are eaten
especially in the summer, for their perceived ability to reduce internal heat. They may
be reconstituted and stir-fried, grated and used to thicken soup, or processed to extract
starch. Their texture and taste draw comparisons with the potato, although the individual bulb
scales are much smaller. There are also species which are meant to be suitable for culinary
and/or herb uses. There are five traditional lily species whose bulbs are certified and
classified as "vegetable and non-staple foodstuffs" on the National geographical indication product
list of China. Culinary use:野百合Lilium brownii, 百合（变种）Lilium
brownii var. viridulum, 渥丹 Lilium concolor, 毛百合 Lilium dauricum, 川百合 Lilium
davidii, 东北百合 Lilium distichum, 卷丹 Lilium lancifolium, 新疆百合（变种）
Lilium martagon var. pilosiusculum, 山丹 Lilium pumilum, 南川百合 Lilium rosthornii,
药百合（变种） Lilium speciosum var. gloriosoides.
Herb use:野百合 Lilium brownii, 百合（变种）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（变种） Lilium speciosum var. gloriosoides, 淡黄花百合 Lilium
sulphureum.
And there are researches about the selection of new varieties of edible lilies from the
horticultural cultivars, such as 'Batistero' and 'California' among 15 lilies in Beijing,
and 'Prato' and 'Small foreigners' among 13 lilies in Ningbo.
Japan Culinary use: Yuri-ne is also common in Japanese
cuisine, especially as an ingredient of chawan-mushi. The major lilium species cultivated as vegetable
are L. leichtlinii var. maximowiczii, L. lancifolium, and L. auratum
Herb use: Lilium lancifolium, Lilium brownii var. viridulum ,Lilium brownii var colchesteri,
Lilium pumilum Taiwan
Culinary use: The parts of lilium species which are officially
listed as food material are the flower and bulbs of Lilium lancifolium Thunb., Lilium
brownii var. viridulum Baker, Lilium pumilum DC., Lilium candidum Loureiro. Most edible
lily bulbs which can be purchased in a market are mostly imported from mainland China and
Japan. There are already commercially available organic growing and normal growing edible
lily bulbs. The varieties are selected by the Taiwanese Department of Agriculture from
the Asiatic lily cultivars that are imported from the Netherlands; the seedling bulbs must
be imported from the Netherlands every year. Herb use:
Lilium lancifolium Thunb., Lilium brownii var. viridulum Baker, Lilium pumilum DC.
South Korea The lilium species which are officially listed
as herbs are 이 약은 참나리 Lilium lancifolium Thunberg; 백합 Lilium brownii var. viridulun
Baker; 또는 큰솔나리 Lilium pumilum DC.
The "lily" flower buds known as jīnzhēn in Chinese cuisine are actually from the daylily
Hemerocallis fulva. Gallery
See also Lily seed germination types
Orientpet Fleur-de-lis
Notes
External links The Plant List
Online Lily Register, over 9400 entries Lilium de Florum: Lilium species
North American Lily Society Royal Horticultural Society Lily Group
1 2 3 Time-lapse videos THE GENUS LILIUM
Lilium at the Encyclopedia of Life Lily perenialization, Flower Bulb Research
Program, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University
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