Lilies are tall perennials ranging in height from 26 ft (60180 cm).

They form naked or tunicless

scaly underground bulbs which are their overwintering organs. In some North American species
the base of the bulb develops into rhizomes, on which numerous small bulbs are found. Some
species develop stolons. Most bulbs are deeply buried, but a few species form bulbs 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 outadventitious 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 flowers are large, often fragrant, and come in a range of colours including whites, yellows,
oranges, pinks, reds and purples. Markings include spots and brush strokes. The plants are late
spring- or summer-flowering. Flowers are borne in racemes or umbelsat the tip of the stem, with
six tepals spreading or reflexed, to give flowers varying from funnel shape to a "Turk's cap". The
tepals are free from each other, and bear a nectary at the base of each flower. The ovary is
'superior', borne above the point of attachment of the anthers. The fruit is a three-celled capsule.
[3]

Seeds ripen in late summer. They exhibit varying and sometimes complex germination patterns,
many adapted to cool temperate climates.
Naturally most cool temperate species are deciduous and dormant in winter in their native
environment. But a few species which distribute in hot summer and mild winter area (Lilium
candidum, Lilium catesbaei, Lilium longiflorum) lose leaves and remain relatively short dormant
in Summer or Autumn, sprout from Autumn to winter, forming dwarf stem bearing a basal rosette
of leaves until accept enough chilling requirement, the stem begins to elongate while warming.

Taxonomy[edit]
Taxonomical division in sections follows the classical division of Comber,[4] species acceptance
follows the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families,[5] the taxonomy of sectionPseudolirium is
from the Flora of North America,[6] the taxonomy of Section Liriotypus is given in consideration of
Resetnik et al. 2007,[7] the taxonomy of Chinese species (various sections) follows the Flora of
China [8] and the taxonomy of Section Sinomartagon follows Nishikawa et al.[9] as does the
taxonomy of Section Archelirion.[10]
The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, as of January 2014, considers Nomocharis a
separate genus in its own right,[11] however some authorities consider Nomocharisto be
embedded within Lilium, rather than treat it as a separate genus.[12][13]
There are seven sections:

Martagon

Pseudolirium

Liriotypus

Archelirion

Sinomartagon

Leucolirion

Daurolirion

For a full list of accepted species[2] with their native ranges, see List of Lilium species