Liliaceae / Lilium spp. / Silaćahu (silah-tza-hoo)

Tiger Lily, Corn Lily, Lily of the Valley, Waterlily, Calla Lily….AHHHHHH! Not sure there is a more common, common name than that of the Lily. Whenever we talk about the potential for colloquial names to be the catalyst for phytochemical confusion; the so-called “Lilies” are first to rear their ugly (often quite gorgeous) heads. The aforementioned not only come from completely different plant families, but come with, as expected, their own unique chemical compound makeup.

Today, the topic is True-Lilies/Lilium. These ridiculously showy flowers are placed upon mostly erect stems which rise 30-250cm from the earth. The perianths are in parts of 6 and range in color from shades of white, yellow, orange, red, or maroon; with the adaxial surfaces often spotted. The stems generally carry whorled cauline leaves, or less frequently presenting alternate. Below ground, we find a bulb ranging from ~2-10cm, upon which are often a number of scales.

About those scales...a fascinating aspect to the Lilium genera is the plethora of ways they have adapted to animal interaction. Especially in regard to propagation. While some methods are common (seed and bulbs), they hold a few fairly unique tricks up their (s)leaves; both in response to herbivory and disturbance. The first method is through their aforementioned bulb scales! In even the smallest of bulbs, one will find dozens of these underground structures. When the primary bulb is unearthed, these readily fall off into the exposed hole or onto nearby soil, eventually creating an entirely new (clonal) plant.

The second method is bulbils. These above ground aerial bulbs are located in the axils of the leaves! Their development is triggered in response to consumption or damage to their flowers. While disturbance is often considered counterproductive to wild plant health, Lilium is a great example of how this interaction can actually be of mutual benefit.

When it comes to its interaction with humans, True Lilies are often cast aside as toxic; an incorrect assessment which likely stems from both the plethora of common names which bear this moniker, and the fact that they actually are quite deadly, albeit only to our feline friends. For most others, they are considered a delicacy. Bulbs can be eaten raw or, most commonly, cooked. Flowers can be eaten raw and were recently the show-stealer on a breakfast pasty of ours. Unopened buds are also delicious when sauteed with butter and garlic. Medicinally, they have traditional uses too numerous to fit within the word-count of this write-up.