LILIACEAE - LILY FAMILY
Scientific Description:
Perennial, bulbous herbs, rarely rhizomatous; stems erect, rarely branching. Leaves along stem, simple, alternate, less often opposite (e.g. some FritillariaL., some TulipaL.), rarely whorled, sometimes sheathing; petioles present or absent. Inflorescences racemes, solitary flowers, umbels or panicles. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic or weakly zygomorphic (some FritillariaL.); usually bracteate. Perianth free or fused tepals, similar whorls or rarely distinct (e.g. TricyrtisWall.) or rarely absent (ScoliopusTorr.), often nectaries at tepal base, often spotted. Stamens 2-whorled except in Scoliopus, filaments are free or attached to perianth; anthers extrorse. Ovary superior; carpels fused; locules 3; ovules (5−)many per locule; placentation axile or rarely parietal (e.g. Medeola); stigmas 3-lobed. Fruit usually a capsule, rarely a berry (Clintonia Lindl., Medeola L., Prosartes D.Don, Streptopus Michx.).
Reference:
Byng JW (2014). Liliaceae, In: The Flowering Plants Handbook: A practical guide to families and genera of the world. Plant Gateway Ltd., Hertford, UK., pp. 68.
Public Description:
The “lily family”, contains of perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous plants distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The diversity center of this family is from southwest Asia to China. Their distribution is diverse, mainly in plains, steppes, and alpine meadows, but also in deciduous forests, Mediterranean scrub and arctic tundra. Many species are widely used as ornamental plants because of their attractive flowers and cut flowers. Lily (Lilium L.) has a long history in literature and art. Tulips (Tulipa L.) also have a long cultural tradition, particularly in the Islamic world. Tulips has been widely used in decorative motifs on tiles, fabrics, and ceramics in Islamic art and the Ottoman Empire in particular. Some species are poisonous if eaten and can have adverse health effects in humans and household pets.
References:
Anonymous (2017). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liliaceae/, Accessed date: 11.12.2017.
