Description:

• Erect herbs with scaly bulbs; roots thick
• Stems erect, annual, usually unbranched, not enclosed by membranous outer tunic
• Leaves 20-40(-60), alternate, distributed along stem, sessile, flat, dorsiventral, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, attenuate, bifacial, parallel-veined, up to 7 veins more conspicuous
• Flowers bisexual, regular, often solitary, but up to at least 7, in a raceme, horizontal, (120-)150-200 mm long, infundibuliform, hypogynous
• Pedicels erect to cernuous, not articulated
• Tepals 3 + 3, similar, forming a tube, reflexed distally, not clawed, white; glabrous, nectariferous furrow towards base
• Stamens 3 + 3; filaments glabrous, free, filiform above, linear below, 90-140 mm long; anthers epipeltate, 2-locular, dorsifixed, opening longitudinally, introrse; pollen yellow
• Ovary superior, 3-locular, sessile, oblong to obovoid; ovules (1-)many, axile, usually biseriate occasionally multiseriate; style terete, sometimes clavate, 80-120 mm long; stigma deeply 3-lobed
• Fruit a loculicidal capsule, coriaceous, perianth deciduous
• Seeds many, flat, disc-shaped, papery
• x = 12 (polyploidy)

Classification Notes:

• Liliaceae in broad sense include the following families:
  • Agapanthaceae, Alliaceae, Anthericaceae, Asparagaceae, Asphodelaceae (including Aloaceae), Colchicaceae, Eriospermaceae, Hyacinthaceae, Luzuriagaceae and Smilacaceae.
• There is continuing discussion on the family delimitations

Nomenclature:

• *Liliaceae
  • Jussieu: 48 (1789)
  • Dahlgren et al.: 233 (1985) in strict sense

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera 13, species ± 400, widespread but mostly northern temperate
• Southern Africa: Genus 1, species 1, naturalised

References:

• DRYSDALE WOODCOCK, H.B. & STEARN, W.T. 1950. Lilies of the world. Country Life, London
• JUSSIEU, A.L. DE. 1789. Genera plantarum. Herissant & Barrois, Paris

Resources:

• Liliaceae genus: *Lilium