Taxonomy
of Flowering Plants - LECTURE
NOTES - Spring, 1998
Hugh
D. Wilson - rm. 306,
Butler Hall
27 April 1998
The Liliidae
Family Overview - Liliales
Liliaceae - the Lily Family
Diversity: perennial herbs
with, often, showy flowers - ca. 280 genera and 4,000 species.
The ethnoflora includes many ornamentals (Lilium - lily,
Narcissus - daffodil,
Tulipa - tulips, etc.). Asparagus and
Allium
(Onion, garlic,
leek, chive) provide edible shoots although many wild elements of the family
are toxic.
30 93
Distribution: Worldwide.
The Texas flora includes 30 genera and 93 species in Texas (Texas
Amaryllidaceae
adds 9 genera and 36 species) with 14 endemic
taxa from 4 genera and, in the east-coastal region, 4 endemic taxa
from two genera of the Amaryllidaceae
(see North
American taxa).
Floral structure:
connation/adnation of present
in the androperianth
Significant features: Erect,
climbing, or scapose perennial herbs with linear, 'monocot-like' leaves
and various shoot features of the herbaceous perennial (buld, rhizome,
corm, etc.). Flowers usually perfect, actinomorphic, and showy with
petaloid calyx and either a capsular or berry-like fruit.
This large group of showy monocot genera, as treated by Cronquist, includes
groups that are often treated at the family level (see Texas Amaryllidaceae).
Nothoscordum bivalve
('typical' lily - crow poison):
Hemerocallis (daylily):
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plants
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flower-front
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flower-section
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Hypoxis hirsuta (amaryllid):
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plant
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flowers
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More information on the Liliaceae
and Amaryllidaceae
Return to Lecture
Notes, the Botany
201 homepage, or the Liliidae
page
