Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Perennial herbs, with a rhizomatous, bulbous, tuberous, or fibrous rootstock; leaves basal or cauline.

Flowers axillary, terminal or in racemose inflorescences or umbels, regular, bisexual or rarely dioecious; perianth coloured or sometimes scarious, with 6 segments free or united towards the base; stamens usually 6, inserted at the base of the perianth; anthers 2-celled, usually opening inwards; ovary superior, 3-celled, with 1 to numerous usually anatropous ovules in each cell, arranged on axile placentas, rarely 1-celled; styles 3, or united into 1.

Fruit a berry or capsule, the latter usually loculicidal; albumen fleshy or cartilaginous.

Distribution:  Probably about 300 genera with over 4,000 species in most parts of the world, but poorly represented in South America. 50-60 genera and almost 300 species in Australia.

Biology: No text

Uses: Contains many handsome garden plants, such as the lilies (Lilium), tulips (Tulipa), hyacinth (Hyacinthus), and Agapanthus.

Taxonomic notes: There is wide disagreement on the definition of the Liliaceae. Black's (1943) arrangement is followed here although many of the genera could be placed elsewhere; for example Alllure in the Alliaceae or Amaryllidaceae; Calectasia in the Calectasiaceae, and Laxmannia, Lomandra and Xanthorrhoea in the Xanthorrhoeaceae.

Key to Species:

1. Flowers in umbels terminating long unbranched stems
2. Bracts at the base of the pedicels at least 3; rootstock slightly swollen and tuberous	BURCHARDIA 7.
2. Bracts at the base of the pedicels 1 or 2; rootstock a bulb
3. Perianth-segments shortly fused; seeds up to 12; no onion smell	NOTHOSCORDUM 19.
3. Perianth-segments free; seeds up to 6; usually an onion smell	ALLIUM 1.
1. Flowers racemose, axillary, solitary or, if clustered, then not in an umbel terminating a long unbranched stem
4. Stems branched; leaves cauline, less than 4 cm long
5. Leaf-like structures (cladodes) arising in the axils of small scales
6. Flowers unisexual; plants erect	ASPARAGUS 4.
6. Flowers bisexual: plants climbing or scrambling
7. Cladodes 1-3 per node; stems annual and herbaceous	MYRSIPHYLLUM 18.
7. Cladodes up to 10 per node; stems perennial and somewhat woody towards the base	PROTASPARAGUS 21.
5. Leaves inserted on the stem, not in the axils of scales
8. Flowers blue, solitary, terminal	CALECTASIA 9.
8. Flowers white, in small heads	LAXMANNIA 14.
4. Stems simple or, if branched, the leaves either all basal or absent at flowering or the largest leaves more than 5 cm long
9. Flowers sessile, bisexual, in dense cylindrical spikes at least 30 cm long	XANTHORRHOEA 27.
9. Flowers pedicellate, if sessile then unisexual and spikes less than 30 cm long
10. Flowers unisexual; leaves hard and dry	LOMANDRA 15.
10. Flowers bisexual or, if unisexual, the leaves distinctly flaccid
11. Aerial stem simple; flower solitary, terminal	IPHEION 12.
11. Aerial stem simple or branched; flowers more than 1, lateral or terminating short branches
12. Aerial stem and inflorescence simple, flowers always 1 in the axil of each bract
13. Leaves not all basal (always present at flowering)	WURMBEA 26.
13. Leaves all basal (not always present at flowering)
14. Flowers urceolate or tubular
15. Flowers 2-4 cm long, yellow and/or orange or red	LACHENALIA 13.
15. Flowers 4-5 mm long, bluish	MUSCARI 17.
14. Flowers cup-shaped or with the perianth spreading
16. Perianth-segments white or green and white, usually at least 2 cm long; filaments never bearded	ORNITHOGALUM 20.
16. Perianth-segments yellow or blue to violet, less than 2 cm long; filaments sometimes bearded
17. Flowers yellow; filaments usually bearded; no bulb	BULBINE 6.
17. Flowers (at least the upper) bluish; filaments not bearded; bulb	SCILLA 22.
12. Aerial stem or inflorescence branched or, if simple, at least some bracts bearing more than 1 flower
18. Leaves succulent and persistent; flowers tubular, more than 3 cm long	ALOE 2.
18. Leaves firm or if slightly fleshy not persistent; flowers open, always less than 3 cm long
19. Fruit a berry; aerial shoot perennial, usually with cauline leaves; anthers dehiscing apically (some-times splitting introrsely later)	DIANELLA 11.
19. Fruit a capsule; aerial shoot usually lasting only a few months (except Stypandra), with basal leaves; anther dehiscence introrse
20. Perianth twisted spirally after flowering
21. Filaments bearded	TRICORYNE 25.
21. Filaments glabrous
22. Flowers racemose	CAESIA 8.
22. Flowers corymbose	CHAMAESCILLA 10.
20. Perianth not twisted spirally after flowering
23. Anthers distinctly dorsifixed; leaves cylindrical	ASPHODELUS 5.
23. Anthers attached at or near the base; leaves flat or absent at flowering
24. Petals fringed	THYSANOTUS 24.
24. Petals not fringed
25. Plant climbing	MURCHISONIA 16.
25. Plant erect
26. Filaments glabrous or if bearded the perianth 5-7 mm long; seeds angular	ARTHROPODIUM 3.
26. Filaments bearded; perianth 8-14 mm long; seeds flat	STYPANDRA 23.

Author: Prepared by J.P. Jessop except as indicated