Liliaceae
Lily FamilyCompiled by Marc Williams marc@botanyeveryday.com June 7, 2011
Liliaceae / Lily Family / Liliales
A link to a photo album of members of the Liliaceae using an older broader taxonomic definition of the family can be seen a Thomas Elpel’s site below.
http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/Plant_Families/Liliaceae.htm
Taxonomy:
The taxonomy of the Lily family has undergone great change in the last 20 years. Many new families have been created from genera that were formerly included in Liliaceae. The following commentary reflects a number of recent sources (Heywood, Brummitt, Culham, & Seberg, 2007; Judd, Campbell, Kellog, Stevens, & Donahue, 2008; Spears, 2006). However, the ethnobotanical treatment after follows from the historic classification of Liliaceae.
Asparagales
Agavaceae Agave, Camassia, Chlorogalum, Hesperaloe, Manfreda, Yucca
Alliaceae Allium, Nothoscordum, Tulbaghia
Amaryllidaceae, Amaryllis, Crinum, Galanthus, Hymenocallis, Leucojum, Narcissus, Nerine and Zephyranthes
Asparagaceae Asparagus, Hemiphylacus
Asphodelaceae Aloe, Bulbine
Hemerocallidaceae Dianella, Hemerocallis, Phormium
Hyacinthaceae Eucomis, Hyacinthoides, Hyacinthus, Muscari, Ornithogalum, Scilla
Hypoxidaceae Hypoxis
Iridaceae Belamcanda, Crocosmia, Crocus, Gladiolus, Iris, Sisyrinchium,
Ruscaceae Convallaria, Dracaena, Liriope, Maianthemum, Nolina, Polygonatum, Sansevieria
Themidaceae Brodiaea
Liliales (Spots on tepals, nectaries at base of tepals (Judd et al., 2008).
Alstroemeriaceae Alstroemeria, Bomarea
Colchicaceae Colchicum, (Disporum syn. Prosartes), Gloriosa, Uvularia,
Liliaceae Calochortus, Clintonia, Erythronium, Fritillaria, Lilium, Medeola, Prosartes, Streptopus, and Tulipa.
Melanthiaceae Amianthium, Chamaelirium, Helonias, Stenanthium, Veratrum, Xerophyllum and Zigadenus
Smilacaceae Smilax
Trilliaceae Trillium
Nartheciaceae Narthecium and Aletris
Tofieldiaceae Tofieldia
Fairy Bells (Disporum) is now in the genus Prosartes. Both Solomon’s Plume (Smilacina racemosa) and Starry Solomon’s Plume (S. stellata) are now Maianthemum racemosum and Maianthemum stellatum repectively (Weakley, 2008). Trillium may also be placed in the Melanthiaceae (Heywood et al., 2007; Weakley, 2008). Convallaria, Liriope, Maianthemum and Polygonatum are sometimes included in the Convallariaceae (Heywood et al., 2007). Clintonia is sometimes included in the Colchicaceae (Heywood et al., 2007).
Food:
Quite a few members of the Liliaceae have been used for food but one must be aware of potential DEADLY LOOK ALIKES The following table shows information from the incredible resource Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America by Francois Couplan (1998).
|
Brodiaea spp. |
Brodiaea
|
Small sweet corms eaten by Western Indians |
|
Calochortus spp. |
Mariposa Lily |
The bulbs of numerous species have been consumed by Western Native Americans |
|
Bluebead Lily |
Young leaves raw, older leaves cooked |
|
|
White Wood Lily |
Young leaves raw, older leaves cooked |
|
|
White Trout Lily |
Corms used as food |
|
|
Yellow Avalanche Lily |
Corms used as food |
|
|
American Trout Lily |
Corms used as food |
|
|
Spotted Checker Lily |
Bulbs eaten raw boiled or dried |
|
|
Yellow Fritillary |
Bulbs eaten raw boiled or dried |
|
|
Orange Lily |
Grown for edible bulbs in Asia escaped in the Northeast U.S. |
|
|
Lilium lancifolium syn Lilium tigrinum |
Tiger Lily |
Grown for edible bulbs in Asia escaped in the Northeast U.S. |
|
Indian Cucumber |
Roots is crisp and juicy and was consumed by natives as the common name suggests |
|
|
Muscari neglectum syn M. racemosum |
Starch Grape Hyacinth |
Small sweet roots eaten in Europe
|
Other bulbs and rhizomes of a number of plants from the Lily family have been consumed after very thorough and proper cooking including Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum), Smooth Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) and Tassel Grape Hyacinth (Muscari comosum) Citation.
Medicine:
The Bella Coola and other Native American tribes used the tea of Bride’s Bonnet (Clintonia uniflora) as a body wash (Foster & Hobbs, 2002). Solomon’s Seal is a famous medicinal from the Southeast and Europe. Aloe (Aloe vera) is well known for its soothing sap that is used for burns and also internally for improving digestive functioning.
Toxicity:
Several members of the Liliaceae are famous for the poisons they contain. Cardiac glycocides are present in Lily of the Valley (Convallaria spp.), Squill (Scilla spp.), and Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum spp.) (Nelson, Shih, & Balick, 2007). Sodium channel activators are present in Death Camas (Zigadenus), Feathershank (Schoenocaulon) and False Hellebore (Veratrum) (Nelson et al., 2007). Hyacinth (Hyacinthus spp.) and Tulips (Tulipa spp.) can cause contact dermatitis (Nelson et al., 2007). Steroidal saponins may also occur in the Liliaceae (Wink & Van Wyk, 2008). The bulbs of the European Frittilary (Fritillaria meleagris) contain a very toxic alkaloid called imperialine (Couplan, 1998).
Dyes:
A few plants have been used as natural dyes including;
Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale) (J. Cannon & M. Cannon, 2003).
Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) (Eaton, 1973; Fern, 2008; A. Krochmal & C. Krochmal, 1974; Nicholson & Clovis, 1967)
Tulip (Tulipa sp.) (Eaton, 1973).
Other Crafts:
Quite a few members of the Liliaceae group have been used for crafts and aesthetic purposes. Bear Grass (Xerophyllum) is used for making baskets (Judd et al., 2008). Many members of the former/current Liliaceae make great cut flowers including, Lilium spp., Tulipa spp., Hemerocallis fulva, and Convallaria spp. Some members also have fabulous smells including Hyacinth (Hyacinthus), Grape Hyacinth (Muscari botryoides), Daffodil (Narcissus spp.), and Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus).
Invasiveness:
Creeping Turf Lily (Liriope spicata) is considered invasive in MD and TN and Grape Hyacinth (Muscari botryoides) in those two and WV as well (Burrell, 2006). Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum spp.) is invasive in many parts of the Northeast (Burrell, 2006). Occasionally, Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) can escape from cultivation. However, tubers, shoots and flowers are all edible (Couplan, 1998).
Literature Cited
Burrell, C. C. (2006). Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants. Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Cannon, J., & Cannon, M. (2003). Dye Plants and Dyeing. Portland, OR: Timber Press.
Couplan, F. (1998). The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America. New Canaan, CT: Keats Pub.
Eaton, A. H. (1973). Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands. New York: Dover Publications.
Fern, K. (2008). Plants for a future - 7300 useful plants database. Plants For a Future. Retrieved April 23, 2009, from http://www.pfaf.org/index.php
Foster, S., & Hobbs, C. (2002). A Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs. Peterson field guide series; Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Heywood, V. H., Brummitt, R. K., Culham, A., & Seberg, O. (2007). Flowering Plant Families of the World (Revised.). Buffalo, NY; Richmond Hill, Ont.: Firefly Books.
Judd, W. S., Campbell, C. S., Kellog, E. A., Stevens, P. F., & Donahue, M. J. (2008). Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach (3rd ed.). Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.
Krochmal, A., & Krochmal, C. (1974). The Complete Illustrated Book of Dyes from Natural Sources. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
Nelson, L. S., Shih, R. D., & Balick, M. J. (2007). Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants (2nd ed.). New York: Springer.
Nicholson, S. M., & Clovis, J. F. (1967). Dye Plants and Dye Methods in West Virginia. Castanea, 32(2), 111-116. doi:10.2307/4032274
Spears, P. (2006). A Tour of the Flowering Plants: Based on the Classification System of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. St. Louis, MO: Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
Weakley, A. (2008). Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, northern Florida, and surrounding areas (Working Draft April.). Chapel Hill, NC: North Carolina Botanical Garden.
Wink, M., & Van Wyk, B.-E. (2008). Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World (1st ed.). Portland, OR: Timber Press.