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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Lilium''
| image = 2000px_lillium_michiganese.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''Lilium michiganense''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[monocotyledon|Liliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Liliales]]
| familia = [[Liliaceae]]
| genus = '''''Lilium'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}

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.

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

They are commonly adapted to either woodland habitats, often [[mountain|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.


==Botany==
Lilies are usually erect leafy stemmed herbs. The majority of species form naked or tunic-less scaly underground [[bulb]]s from which they overwinter. In some North American species the base of the bulb develops into [[rhizome]]s, on which numerous small bulbs are found. Some species develop [[stolon]]s. 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 [[flower]]s have three [[petals]] along with three petal-like [[sepal]]s, 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.

==Species==

The following is a partial list of the recognised species.

{|
|- valign=top
|
*''[[Lilium albanicum]]''
*''[[Lilium amabile]]''
*''[[Lilium amoenum]]''
*''[[Lilium anhuiense]]''
*''[[Lilium arboricola]]''
*''[[Lilium auratum]]'' – Japanese golden rayed lily
*''[[Lilium bakerianum]]''
*''[[Lilium bolanderi]]''
*''[[Lilium bosniacum]]'' - Bosnian lily
*''[[Lilium brevistylum]]''
*''[[Lilium brownii]]''
*''[[Lilium bulbiferum]]'' – [[Orange lily]]
*''[[Lilium callosum]]''
*''[[Lilium canadense]]'' – [[Canada lily]]
*''[[Lilium candidum]]'' – [[Madonna lily]]
*''[[Lilium carniolicum]]''
*''[[Lilium catesbaei]]''
*''[[Lilium cernuum]]''
*''[[Lilium chalcedonicum]]'' – Turkscap lily
*''[[Lilium columbianum]]''
*''[[Lilium concolor]]''
*''[[Lilium dauricum]]''
*''[[Lilium davidii]]''
*''[[Lilium distichum]]''
*''[[Lilium duchartrei]]''
*''[[Lilium fargesii]]''
*''[[Lilium floridum]]''
*''[[Lilium formosanum]]''
*''[[Lilium grayi]]''
*''[[Lilium habaense]]''
*''[[Lilium hansonii]]''
*''[[Lilium heldreichii]]''
|
*''[[Lilium henrici]]''
*''[[Lilium henryi]]'' – Henry's lily
*''[[Lilium huidongense]]''
*''[[Lilium humboldtii]]'' – [[Humboldt's lily]]
*''[[Lilium iridollae]]''
*''[[Lilium jankae]]''
*''[[Lilium jinfushanense]]''
*''[[Lilium kelleyanum]]''
*''[[Lilium kelloggii]]''
*''[[Lilium lancifolium]]'' (syn. ''L. tigrinum'') – Tiger li
ly
*''[[Lilium lankongense]]''
*''[[Lilium ledebourii]]''
*''[[Lilium leichtlinii]]''
*''[[Lilium leucanthum]]''
*''[[Lilium lijiangense]]''
*''[[Lilium longiflorum]]'' – Easter lily
*''[[Lilium lophophorum]]''
*''[[Lilium maritimum]]''
*''[[Lilium martagon]]'' – Martagon lily
*''[[Lilium matangense]]''
*''[[Lilium medeoloides]]''
*''[[Lilium medogense]]''
*''[[Lilium michauxii]]'' – Carolina lily
*''[[Lilium michiganense]]''
*''[[Lilium monadelphum]]''
*''[[Lilium nanum]]''
*''[[Lilium neilgherrense]]''
*''[[Lilium nepalense]]''
*''[[Lilium occidentale]]''
*''[[Lilium oxypetalum]]''
*''[[Lilium papilliferum]]''
*''[[Lilium paradoxum]]''
*''[[Panther lily|Lilium pardalinum]]'' – Panther lily
|
*''[[Lilium parryi]]''
*''[[Lilium parvum]]''
*''[[Lilium philadelphicum]]''
*''[[Lilium pinifolium]]''
*''[[Lilium pomponium]]''
*''[[Lilium primulinum]]''
*''[[Lilium pumilum]]'' – Korean lily
*''[[Lilium pyrenaicum]]''
*''[[Lilium pyrophilum]]''
*''[[Regal lily|Lilium regale]]'' – Regal lily
*''[[Lilium rhodopaeum]]''
*''[[Lilium rosthornii]]''
*''[[Lilium rubescens]]''
*''[[Lilium saccatum]]''
*''[[Lilium sargentiae]]''
*''[[Lilium sempervivoideum]]''
*''[[Lilium sherriffiae]]''
*''[[Lilium souliei]]''
*''[[Lilium speciosum]]'' – Japanese lily
*''[[Lilium stewartianum]]''
*''[[Lilium sulphureum]]''
*''[[Lilium superbum]]''
*''[[Lilium taliense]]''
*''[[Lilium tianschanicum]]''
*''[[Lilium tsingtauense]]''
*''[[Lilium wallichianum]]''
*''[[Lilium wardii]]''
*''[[Lilium washingtonianum]]''
*''[[Lilium wenshanense]]''
*''[[Lilium xanthellum]]''
|}

==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 [[starch]]y and edible as [[root vegetable]]s, although bulbs of some species may be very bitter. The non-bitter bulbs of ''[[Tiger lily|L. lancifolium]]'', ''L. pumilum'', and especially ''L. brownii'' (called [[wiktionary:百|百]][[wiktionary:合|合]][[wiktionary:干|干]] in Chinese) 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 frying|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]]'' [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12680447&dopt=Abstract].

Lilies are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[Dun-bar|The Dun-bar]].

Lilies are considered the most common of flowers to be presented at funerals. The presence of Lilies at funerals symbolizes that the soul of the departed has received restored innocence after death.


===Classification of garden forms===
[[Image:Lilium canadense.JPG|thumb|left|150px|Asiatic hybrid flower]]
Numerous forms are grown for the garden, and most of these are hybrids. They vary according to their parent species, and are classified in the following broad groups;
*'''Species''' (Division IX). All natural species and naturally occurring forms are included in this group.
*'''Asiatic hybrids''' (Division I). These are plants with medium sized, upright or outward facing flowers, mostly unscented. They are derived from central and east Asian species.
*'''Martagon hybrids''' (Division II). These are based on
''L. martagon'' and ''L. hansonii''. The flowers are nodding, Turk's cap style (with the petals strongly recurved).
*'''Candidum hybrids''' (Division III). This includes hybrids of ''L. candidum'' with several other mostly European species.
*'''American hybrids''' (Division IV). These are mostly taller growing forms, originally derived from ''L. pardalinum''. 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, and are less often grown in the garden than other hybrids.
*'''Trumpet lilies''' (Division VI), including Aurelian hybrids. This group includes hybrids of many Asiatic species, including ''L. regale'' and ''L. aurelianse''. The flowers are trumpet shaped, facing outward or somewhat downward, and tend to be strongly fragrant, often especially night-fragrant.
*'''Oriental hybrids''' (Division VII). These are based on hybrids of ''L. auratum'' and ''L. speciosum'', together with crossbreeds from several mainland Asiatic species. They are fragrant, and the flowers tend to be outward facing. Plants tend to be tall, and the flowers may be quite large. An example is [[Lilium "Stargazer"]].
*'''Other hybrids''' (Division VIII). Includes all other garden hybrids.

===Propagation and growth===
Liliums can be propagated in several ways;
* by division of the bulbs,
* by growing-on [[Bulb#Bulbil|''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; [[Lily Seed Germination Types|seed germination patterns]] are variable and can be complex.

==Names==
The botanic name ''Lilium'' is the [[Latin]] form and is a [[Linnaean]] name. The Latin name is derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''leirion'', which is generally assumed to be the [[Madonna lily]]. [http://members.shaw.ca/lilynet/netlil/id35.htm]

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 have flowers that may resemble true lilies to a greater or lesser extent. Most of them are quite unrelated to the true lilies.

==Trivia==
*[[Johannes Brahms]]' famous berceuse, ''[[Brahms' Lullaby]]'', mentions lilies in the common English version. In the original German composition, it mentions [[rose]]s and [[carnation]]s.

==See also==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Seed_Germination_Types ''Lily Seed Germination types'']

==External links==
*[http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Lilium&SPECIES_XREF=&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: ''Lilium'']
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=118558 Flora of China: ''Lilium'']
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=118558 Flora of Nepal: ''Lilium'' species list]
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=118558 Flora of North America: ''Lilium'']
*[http://www.lilyregister.com/ Online Lily Register, over 9400 entries ''Lilium'']
*[http://www.deflorum.com/lilium.html de Florum: ''Lilium'' species]
*[http://www.lilies.org/ North American Lily Society]



<gallery>
Image:Lilium auratum - pollen.jpg|Pollen of ''Lilium auratum'' (Oriental Lily) Back-scattered electron microscope image
</gallery>

{{Commons|Lilium}}

[[Category:Liliales]]
[[Category:Root vegetables]]
[[Category:Flowers]]
[[Category:Garden plants]]