Lily and Onion Families

The lily family consists of perennial bulb or rhizome herbs of the world’s deserts, foothills and mountains (the textbook gives about 400 species). Onions and Eremurus (foxtail lilies, “shirach”) used to be placed here, but they were later split into separate families. Leaves are simple, entire, parallel- or arc-veined and alternate on the stem. Flowers are regular and bisexual, single or in inflorescences; the perianth is simple and petal-like, with 6 tepals in two whorls (3+3); there are also 6 stamens (3+3) and one pistil of 3 carpels. Formula: P3+3 A3+3 G(3). The fruit is a capsule (3 locules) or a berry. These are monocots: flower parts in 3s, parallel-veined leaves, fibrous roots. Tulips multiply by seed and by bulb; a tulip raised from seed flowers only after several years. 23 tulip species grow in Uzbekistan (per the textbook all are in the Red Book). Picking them and digging up their bulbs has reduced their numbers. Gagea (“boychechak”) is a 10–15 cm bulbous perennial that flowers in early March with yellow flowers; about 30 species grow in the mountains and foothills.