Key to Liliaceae

View taxon page for Liliaceae

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Outer, inner perianth parts generally dissimilar

2. Leaves 1–several, not mottled, abaxially not ribbed; sepals not striped, not grooved at base; petals wide, 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

to ± 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

, enclosing stamens, pistil; stamens 6 ..... CALOCHORTUS

2' Leaves 2, generally purple-mottled, abaxially ribbed; sepals striped, grooved at base; petals narrow, ± erect; stamens 3 ..... SCOLIOPUS

1' Outer, inner perianth parts generally similar or ± dissimilar

3. Plants from scaly 

bulbs 

Short underground stem and the fleshy leaves or leaf bases attached to and surrounding it (e.g., an onion).

or corms or bulb-like rhizomes

4. Perianth parts with distinct glandular area in lower 1/2 ..... FRITILLARIA

4' Perianth parts without distinct glandular area

5. Leaves > 12, ± 

whorled 

Arranged in groups of three or more at nodes or positions along an axis (e.g., three leaves per node).

(often some alternate); anthers attached at middle ..... LILIUM

5' Leaves 2–6(12), 

alternate 

1. Arranged singly, often spirally, along an axis - e.g., one leaf per node. 2. Occurring in different ranks, appearing to be between, not directly above or below, as 'stamens alternate petals'.

; anthers attached at base ..... TULIPA

3' Plants from rhizomes (from elongate bulb of 1–2 fleshy scales, generally with small, bead-like parts of persistent 

rhizome 

1. In seed plants, stem that is often elongate, more or less horizontal, usually underground; distinguished from roots by bearing of leaves, leaf scars, axillary buds, etc. 2. In ferns, stem that is located underground, embedded in leaf litter, on rocks or in rock crevices, or on trees or tree branches, often scaly or hairy; distinguished from roots by bearing of fronds (roots rarely bear fronds), and their greater diameter.

in Erythronium)

6. Leaves cauline, ± not reduced

7. Flowers 1–7 in terminal clusters, without sharp bend at juncture of 

peduncle 

Stalk of an individual flower borne singly, not in an inflorescence, or of an entire inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit; the stalk subtending an involucre (e.g., in Asteraceae, Polygonaceae).

, 

pedicel 

Stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit.

; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

base 

acute 

Having a short-tapered, sharp tip, the sides convex or straight and converging at less than a right angle.

to 

cordate 

Heart-shaped; often pertaining to a leaf in which the blade base on both sides of the petiole is rounded and convex.

, clasping or not ..... PROSARTES

7' Flowers 1(2) in leaf axils, with sharp bend at juncture of peduncle, pedicel; leaf base cordate, clasping ..... STREPTOPUS

6' Leaves ± 

basal 

At or near the base of a plant or plant part. Especially said of leaves clustered near the ground or of a placenta confined to the base of an ovary.

, if cauline then much reduced

8. Fruit a berry; flowers not nodding; perianth white or pink to rose-purple; leaves not mottled ..... CLINTONIA

8' Fruit a capsule; flowers generally nodding; perianth white with yellow base, cream, yellow, or pink; leaves often mottled ..... ERYTHRONIUM

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