Lilium

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{{Taxobox | color = lightgreen | name = Lilium | image = Lilium_michiganense_2.jpg | image_width = 260px | image_caption = Lilium michiganense | regnum = Plantae | divisio = Magnoliophyta | classis = Liliopsida | ordo = Liliales | familia = Liliaceae | genus = Lilium | genus_authority = L. | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = About 100 species, including:
Lilium amabile
Lilium auratum - Japanese golden rayed lily
Lilium bulbiferum - Orange lily
Lilium canadense - Canada lily
Lilium candidum - Madonna lily
Lilium chalcedonicum – Turkscap lily
Lilium concolor
Lilium henryi - Henry's lily
Lilium humboldtii - Humboldt's lily
Lilium lancifolium - Tiger lily
Lilium longiflorum - Easter lily
Lilium martagon - Martagon lily
Lilium michiganense
Lilium nepalense
Lilium pardalinum - Panther lily
Lilium pumilum – Korean lily
Lilium regale - Regal lily
Lilium speciosum - Japanese lily }}

The plants of the genus Lilium are the true lily plants, comprising a genus of about 100 species in the lily family Liliaceae. They are important as showy and large flowered garden plants, and in literature.

A few species formerly included within this genus have now been placed in other genera. These include Cardiocrinum and Nomocharis.

Lilies are usually erect leafy stemmed herbs. The majority of species form naked or tunic-less scaly underground bulbs from which they overwinter. In some North American species the base of the bulb develops into rhizomes, on which numerous small bulbs are found. Some species develop stolons. A few species form bulbs at or 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 large flowers are six-petalled, often fragrant, and come in a range of colours ranging through whites, yellows, oranges, pinks, reds, purples, bronze and even nearly black. Markings include spots, brush strokes and picotees.

The plants are summer flowering. Most species are deciduous, but Lilium candidum bears a basal rosette of leaves for much of the year. Flowers are formed at the top of a single erect stem, with leaves being borne at intervals up the stem.

Lilies are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including The Dun-bar.

Lilies are native to the northern temperate regions. Their range in the Old World extends across much of Europe, the north Mediterranean, across most of Asia to Japan, south to the Nilgiri mountains in India, and south to the Philippines. In the New World they extend from southern Canada through much of the United States.

Lilies are commonly adapted to either woodland habitats, often montane, or sometimes to grassland habitats. A few can survive in marshland and a single one is known to live as an epiphyte (L. arboricola). In general they prefer moderately acidic or lime-free soils.

1 Uses
2 Classification of garden forms
3 Propagation and growth
4 Names
5 External links

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Uses

Many species are widely grown in the garden in temperate and sub-tropical regions. Sometimes they may also be grown as potted plants. A large number of ornamental hybrids have been developed. They can be used in herbaceous borders, woodland and shrub plantings, and as a patio plant.

Some lilies, especially Lilium longiflorum, as well as a few other hybrids, form important cut flower crops. These tend to be forced for particular markets; for instance, L. longiflorum for the Easter trade, when it may be called the Easter lily.

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 are grown at large scale in China as a luxury or health food, most often sold in dry form. They are eaten especially in the summer, for their 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 comparison with the potato, although the individual bulb scales are much smaller.

Although they are believed to be safe for humans to eat, there are reports of nephrotoxicosis (kidney failure) in cats which have eaten some species of Lilium and Hemerocallis [1].

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Classification of garden forms

Numerous forms are grown for the garden, and most of these are hybrids. Garden lilies are classified in the following broad groups;

Asiatic hybrids. These are mostly upright or outward facing hybrids, often unscented, derived from central and east Asian species.

Martagon hybrids. These are based on L. martagon and L. hansonii.

Candidum hybrids. This includes hybrids of L. candidum with several other mostly European species.

American hybrids. These are mostly taller growing forms derived from L. pardalinum, with rhizomatous rootstocks.

Longiflorum hybrids. These are cultivated forms of this species and its subspecies.

Trumpet lilies, including Aurelian hybrids. This group includes hybrids of many Asiatic species, including L. aurelianse. Many of these are strongly fragrant, often especially night-fragrant.

Oriental hybrids. These are mostly fragrant, and the flowers may be quite large. These include hybrids of L. auratum and L. speciosum, together with crossbreeds from several mainland Asiatic species.

Other hybrids. Includes all other garden hybrids.

Species. All natural species and naturally occurring forms are included in this group.

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Propagation and growth

Liliums are propagated in four 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. Some species exhibit complex dormancy, and leaves may take up to two years to emerge.

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Names

The English word lily is derived from an Indo-European root, probably meaning white, though this is disputed.

The botanic name Lilium is the Latin form and is a Linnaean name.

The term "lily" (generally with a modifier, such as "water lily", "daylily", "arum lily" or "blackberry lily") is also applied to a large number of other plants, which may resemble it to a greater or lesser extent. Most of them are quite unrelated to the true lilies.

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