ADVERTISEMENTS:
The below mentioned article provides an overview on Family – Liliaceae. After reading this article you will learn about: 1. Explanation on Family – Liliaceae 2. Economic Importance of Family – Liliaceae.
Explanation on Family – Liliaceae:
There are about 240 genera and 4000 species in this family.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Distribution:
The plants belonging to this family are cosmopolitan in distribution. They are abundantly found in temperate and sub-tropical regions. The plants are usually annual and perennial herbs. Sometimes, the soft, wooded shrubs are also found. In our country the family is represented by several genera such as, Lilium, Aloe, Asparagus, Asphodelus, Gloriosa, etc.
Habit:
The plants are annual, biennial and perennial herbs and shrubs. The plants survive under the most varied conditions. Majority of the plants are xerophytic. The species of Aloe are xerophytic and may be either shrubs or tree-like with perennial aerial stems.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
One of the species of Lilium bears the bulbils in the axis of the leaves to furnish the vegetative reproduction. The species of Aloe are xerophytic bearing succulent and fleshy leaves. The plants of Gloriosa and Asparagus are climbers. The plants of Asparagus bear cladodes.
Roots:
The roots are adventitious and fibrous.
Stem:
In some species, the stems are under-ground, bulbs or rhizomes. The inflorescences may develop on a special aerial stem known as scape (e.g., in Asphodelus).
Leaf:
Usually the leaves are simple, radical or cauline. They may be alternate or whorled. The leaves of Aloe are fleshy and succulent. The plants of Asparagus bear scale-like leaves. However, they possess phylloclades for the purpose of carbon assimilation. The plants possess parallel veined leaves.
Inflorescence:
It is usually of racemose type, but the flowers are never arranged in umbels. In Rohdea, the native of China and Japan the flowers are found to be arranged spirally on a spadix.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
In the species of Gloriosa, the flowers are solitary and terminal. In Tulipa, Lilium and Fritillaria flowers are solitary and terminal. In Gonioscypha, the flowers are arranged in spikes.
Flower:
The flowers are pedicellate, bracteate (sometimes ebracteate), hermaphrodite, complete, regular, hypogynous and usually trimerous. In Maianthemum bifolium (British species) the flowers are tetramerous and in Paris polyphylla pentamerous.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Perianth:
Six perianth leaves arranged in two whorls each whorl consisting of three segments. The segments may be free or united, valvate or imbricate, petaloid or sepaloid and regular. In Haworthia, a native of South Africa, the perianth is bilipped.
Androecium:
It consists of six stamens arranged in two whorls; the stamens are opposite to the perianth leaves; the stamens may be free or adnate to the perianth leaves. The filaments may be free or connate; the anthers are dithecous, introrse and basifixed, they open usually by a longitudinal slit and rarely by a terminal pore.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Gynoecium:
It is tricarpellary, syncarpous. The ovary is superior and trilocular. Placentation axile; style single; stigma trilobed; usually the ovules are numerous and arranged in two rows in each loculus.
Fruit:
Fleshy, berry or a capsule. In Asparagus it is berry. In Gloriosa and Asphodelus they are septicidal and loculicidal capsules respectively.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Seeds:
Endospermic or albuminous with straight embryo.
Pollination:
It takes place through the agency of insects (i.e. entomophilous).
Description of Asphodelus tenuifolius in semi-technical language:
Asphodelus tenuifolius; Verna.-Piazi
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Habit:
Annual weed.
Root:
Adventitious and fibrous.
Stem:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Very small bulb.
Leaves:
Radical, slender, erect, semiterete, fistular, glabrous and pointed.
Scape:
One or more than one; one to two feet long having racemes at their terminal ends.
Inflorescence:
Racemose, raceme.
Flower:
Pedicellate, bracteate, small, actinomorphic, regular, hermaphrodite and hypogynous.
Perianth:
Six perianth leaves in two whorls of three each; white; free or united at the base.
Androecium:
Six stamens in two whorls of three each; epiphyllous; filaments broad at base and surround the ovary; anthers dithecous, basifixed or versatile, introrse, brown.
Gynoecium:
Three, tricarpellary, syncarpous; ovary superior, trilocular, each loculus bearing two ovules; placentation axile; style short, stigma three-lobed.
Fruit:
Small capsule.
Seeds:
Albuminous with straight embryo.
Economic Importance of Family – Liliaceae:
The family is of little economic value. Some are grown as ornamentals while others possess medicinal properties.
A list of few important plants is given below:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
1. Lilium candidum; Eng.-Madonna lily.-This is a perennial herb, grown as an ornamental in the gardens. It is native of South Europe and South West Asia.
2. Gloriosa superba; Eng.-Glory lily; Verna.-Kaliharl-This is an ornamental climbing herb with beautiful flowers, grown in the gardens.
3. Asparagus adscendens; Verna.-Safed Musli-This is a small herb. The root is used as a demulcent and also in diarrhoea and dysentery. It is found in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
4. Asparagus racemosus; Verna.-Satavar-This is a common herb. It is consumed as vegetable.
5. Asparagus officinalis; Eng.-Garden Asparagus; Verna.-Seetmuli, Merchuba, Halyum.- The shoots are consumed as vegetable. It is native of Europe and West Asia.
6. Asparagus plumosus; Eng.-Asparagus fem.-This is a beautiful climbing herb, grown as an ornamental in the gardens. It is native of South Africa.
7. Asparagus sarmentosus; The roots are eaten as vegetable. The roots are also used as demulcent. It is found in Northern India.
8. Aloe barbadensis; Syn. A.vera: Verna.-Ghikanvar-This is a succulent shrub. The leaves yield a resinous drug, which is used mainly as purgative. It is native of West Indies but grows wild in South India.
9. Colchicum luteum; Verna.-Hirantutiya-This is a perennial herb. The roots are used medicinally in the treatment of rheumatism and gout. It is found in the temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Chamba valley and the Punjab.
10. Chlorophytum tuberosum; Verna.-Kulai-This is an undershrub. The leaves are consumed as vegetable. It is found in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Travancore.
11. Fritillaria sp.; Many species are grown as ornamentals in the gardens. Some possess medicinal properties.
12. Tulipa sp. The plant is grown as ornamental in the garden.
13. Convallaria majalis; They are highly ornamental plants and grown in the gardens for their beautiful flowers.
14. Urginea indica; Syn. Scilla indica-, Eng.-White squill; Verna.-Jangli piyaz-This is a herb. The bulbs yield a raticide, and a drug, which is used as an expectorant and stimulant. It is found in the Western Himalayas, Bihar and along the Coromandal coast.
15. Asphodelus tenuifolius; Verna.-Piazi-This is a main weed of Rabi crop. The seeds are used medicinally.
