Description of the family:
Erect herbs. Rootstock a bulb with loose scales. Flowers borne on leafy, usually unbranched, stems. Leaves spiral, arranged along stem, sessile. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, 1(-7) in a raceme. Tepals in 2 whorls of 3, white (in ours). Stamens 6. Ovary superior, 3-locular. Fruit a capsule.
Worldwide:
15 genera and 705 species, N hemisphere especially SW Asia to China. (Our single species is an escape from gardens).
Zimbabwe:
1 genus and 1 taxon.
- Lilium L.