Flowering Plant Families, UH Botany

As treated very broadly, the Liliaceae are mostly perennial herbs from starchy rhizomes, corms, or bulbs comprising about 280 genera and 4,000 species. The leaves are alternate or less often opposite or whorled. The flowers are often showy and are nearly always bisexual and actinomorphic. The perianth typically consists of two whorls of undifferentiated or weakly differentiated petaloid tepals with 3 distinct members in each whorl, or less frequently all of the segments are connate into a common perianth tube or perigynous or epigynous zone that sometimes has an adnate corona. The androecium usually consists of 6 fertile stamens attached to the receptacle or adnate to the perianth tube but rarely 3, 4, or up to 12 may be found. The gynoecium typically consists of a single compound pistil of 3 carpels, a single style commonly with 3 stigmas, and a superior or less often inferior ovary with 3 locules, each containing several to numerous axile ovules. Rarely there are 2 or 4 carpels and locules with axile placentation or only a single locule with intruded parietal placentation. The fruit is nearly always a capsule or berry.

All but the first four entries below are now often treated in more homogeneous, segregate families (indicated in parentheses).

Clintonia uniflora, queen's cup, 1 - Mt. Seymour, B.C, 2 - vic. Tokatee Falls, OR, 2003.

Erythronium grandiflorum, yellow fawn lily, 1,2 - Mary's Peak, OR, 2002, 3 - Mt. Rainier, WA. Note the 6 tepals, 6 stamens, and 3 stigmas.

Erythronium hendersonii, Henderson's fawn lily, vic. Siskyou Mts., SW OR, April, 2004.

Erythronium montanum, alpine fawn lily, avalanche lily, Mt. Rainier, WA.

Erythronium oregonum, giant fawnlily, 1-3 - Mary's Peak, OR, 2002.

Erythronium oregonum, giant fawnlily, 1- 4 - OR, 2003.

Fritillaria affinis, rice root, WA.

Fritillaria gentneri, Gentner's fritillary, vic. Jacksonville, OR, Mar. 2004.

Fritillaria pudica, yellow bell.

Fritillaria recurva, scarlet fritillary, vic. Jacksonville, OR, Mar. 2004.

cf. Fritillaria, loculicidal capsule, common fruit type for Liliaceae

Lilium columbianum, tiger lily, Corvallis, OR, June 6, 2005.

Lilium cf. japonicum

Tulipa sp., tulip, vic. Cheney, WA, 2002.

Agapanthus africanus, lily of the nile. The flowers of this species have a superior ovary but are produced in umbels. (Agapanthaceae).

Crinum amabile, giant spider lily. These flowers have a very long, narrow perianth tube or epigynous zone that arises from the summit of the inferior ovary. (Amaryllidaceae).

Crinum asiaticum, grand crinum. These flowers have a very long, narrow perianth tube or epigynous zone that arises from the summit of the inferior ovary. (Amaryllidaceae).

Eucharis sp. Note the inferior ovary, umbellate inflorescence, and the crown formed by the androecium. (Amaryllidaceae).

Phaedranassa sp. Note strong zygomorphy of the flowers, an uncommon trait in the family. (Amaryllidaceae)

Zephyranthes citrina, yellow zephyr flower, roadside escape, north shore, O'ahu, Hawai'i. Dec. 2003.

Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant. Herb from South Africa with tufts of foot-long, strap-like green leaves often variegated with yellow or white stripes. (Anthericaceae).

Asparagus setaceus. These flowers have 6 tepals, 6 stamens, and a tricarpellate gynoecium with a superior ovary and 3 stigmas. The fruit is a berry. (Asparagaceae)

Asparagus densiflorus, coarse asparagus fern. Generally prickly climber from S. Africa, with narrow, flattened "leaves" (actually cladodes) in clusters of 1-3; foliage generally not in flattened sprays. Flowers tiny, white or pinkish, several, in dense clusters; fruits red. Important foliage plant for floral arrangements; several varieties are used (e.g. cv. 'Springeri').

Astelia sp., pa'iniu. Hawaiian endemic. (Asteliaceae).

Calochortus kennedyi, desert mariposa lily, vic. Tucson, AZ, Mar. 2004. (Calochortaceae)

Calochortus luteus, cat's ear. In this case the inner and outer tepals are exceptionally differentiated but otherwise the flower is very typical for the family. Black beetles can be seen in the bowl-shaped flower. (Calochortaceae)

Calochortus monophyllus, cat's ear. (Calochortaceae)

Calochortus tolmiei, cat's ear. (Calochortaceae)

Gloriosa superba, spider lily. Note petaloid tepals, 3 style branches, and 6 stamens. The gynoecium contributes a degree of zygomorphy to the flower. (Colchicaceae)