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| Family Liliaceae |
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| Division: Angiospermae |
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| Class: Monocotyledonae |
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| Series: Coronarieae |
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| Order: Liliflorae |
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| Family: Liliaceae |
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| It is commonly called Lily family. It includes about 250 genera and 3700 species that have a cosmopolitan distribution. Around 200 species are available in India. |
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 Habit: Mostly perennial herbs, stem often modified into bulbs or corms, rarely shrubs and trees (Dracenea, Yucca). Some are climbers (Gloriosa, Smilax). Many are xerophytes (Aloe, Agave and Asparagus). |
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| fig. 27.13 Dracenea |
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 Root: Adventitious, fibrous, sometimes tuberose. |
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 Stem: Erect or climbing, branched or unbranched herbaceous, may be modified as phylloclade (Ruscus) or cladode (Asparagus) or bulb (Alium) |
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| fig. 27.14 - Asparagus |
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 Leaves: Radical or cauline, simple or rarely compound well developed or reduced to sheaths or scales, tubular. Venation is parallel and reticulate in Smilax. |
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 Inflorescence: Variable, mostly racemose, simple raceme or spike or umbel or panicle. Sometimes solitary cyme (tulips). |
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| fig. 27.15 - Tulip |
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 Flower: Bracteate, actinomorphic, bisexual, pedicellate, homochlamydeous, trimerous, incomplete, and hypogynous. |
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 Perianth: Tepals 6, in two whorls, polyphyllous or gamophyllous, imbricate or valvate aestivation. |
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 Androecium: Stamens 6, in two whorls of three each usually free or attached to tepals (epiphyllous) anthers dithecous, usually versatile, introse or extrose. |
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 Gynoecium: Carpels 3 (tricarpellary), syncarpous, trilocular, two ovules in each locule attached on axile placentation, style simple, stigma trifid, and ovary superior. |
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 Fruit: Berry or capsule. |
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 Seed: Small, endospermic. |
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| fig. 27.15a Habit, floral diagram and floral formula |
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| Vegetables |
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| 1. Alium cepa (onion) |
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| 2. Asparagus racemosus - roots edible, medicinal also |
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| 3. Alium sativum (garlic) - medicinal use also |
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| Medicinal |
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| 1. Aloe vera extract from the plant used as a purgative and for treating liver disorders. |
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| 2. Crinum latifolium (Sukh darshan plant) |
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| 3. Crinum asiaticum for urinary problems |
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| 4. Smilax zeylanica for curing arthritis |
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| Ornamental |
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| 1. Dracaena termiflora |
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| 2. Lilium candidum |
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| 3. Gloriosa superba (glory lily) a fencing plant |
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| Fibre Yielding |
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| 1. Yucca filamentosa |
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| Others |
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| 1. Colchicum autumnale yields an alkaloid colchicine, used for inducing polyploidy in plants artificially. |
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| 2. Urginea indica (White squill) - extract from bulbs used in making rat poison. |
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| fig. 27.16 Common Examples of Family Liliaceae |
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