Lily

Lily
/lil"e/, n.
a female given name.
Also, Lilly.

* * *

(as used in expressions)
lily of the Nile
Lily Claudette Chauchoin
Lily William

* * *

plant
      the common name applied to herbaceous flowering plants belonging to the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae. The genus contains between 80 and 100 species, native to the temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Lilies are prized as ornamental plants, and they have been extensively hybridized.

      The word lily is also used in the common names of many plants of other genera that resemble true lilies. These include the day lily (Hemerocallis) and various species of the family Amaryllidaceae.

      The true lilies are erect perennial plants with leafy stems, scaly bulbs, usually narrow leaves, and solitary or clustered flowers. The flowers consist of six petallike segments, which may form the shape of a trumpet, with a more or less elongated tube, as in the Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) and Easter lily (L. longiflorum). Alternatively, the segments may be reflexed (curved back) to form a turban shape, as in the Turk's cap lily (L. martagon); or they may be less strongly reflexed and form an open cup or bowl shape, as in L. umbellatum and L. auratum. The flowers of some species are quite fragrant, and they occur in a wide variety of colours. Plants of most species range in height from 30 to 120 cm (1–4 feet); plants of certain species, however, exceed 2.5 m (8 feet) in height.

      Lilies are among the oldest cultivated plants. In Asia Minor, during the 2nd millennium BC, the bulb of the Madonna lily was cultivated for use in a medicinal ointment; the ancients raised the bulbs of this species for food. The Greeks and Romans grew it for ornamental and medicinal purposes. During the Middle Ages the Madonna lily was associated with the Virgin Mary as a symbol of purity; it is often included in paintings of her. In East Asia various species of lily were grown as food and ornamental plants from an early date.

      Lilies are usually raised from bulbs, but they can be grown from seed. Different species vary in the amount of sunlight they require. Most prefer a porous, loamy soil, and good drainage is essential. Most species bloom in July or August. The flowering periods of certain species begin in late spring; others bloom in late summer or early autumn.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lily — Lil y (l[i^]l [y^]), n.; pl. {Lilies} (l[i^]l [i^]z). [AS. lilie, L. lilium, Gr. lei rion. Cf. {Flower de luce}.] 1. (Bot.) A plant and flower of the genus {Lilium}, endogenous bulbous plants, having a regular perianth of six colored pieces, six… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lily — est un prénom féminin. Sommaire 1 Sens et origine du prénom 2 Nom de scène 3 Prénom de personnes célèbres 4 Prénom d …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lily — bezeichnet: Lily (Band) eine Band Lily (South Dakota)eine Gemeinde in den USA Lily (Kurzfilm) ein kurzfilm aus dem Jahr 2010 Lily ist ein weiblicher Vorname und der Name von: Lily Jackson (* 1998), US amerikanische Schauspielerin Lily Allen (*… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lily Ho — autres noms : He Lili, Ho Li Li, Lily Ho, Hoh Lee Lee est née en 1947 à Taïwan, est une actrice chinoise. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Filmographie 2.1 de 1965 à 1970 2.2 de 1971 à 1974 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lily — puede referirse: Al nombre femenino de origen inglés. A la revista femenina española Lily y su serie de cabecera, ambas creadas en 1970; Al programa televisivo Lily, estrenado en 1973 en la cadena estadounidense CBS; A alguna de las siguientes… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Lily's E.P. — «Lily s E.P.» Sencillo de Dragon Ash del álbum Lily of Da Valley Género(s) J Rock Duración 16:00 Discográfica Victor Entertainment …   Wikipedia Español

  • lily — (n.) O.E. lilie, from L. lilia, pl. of lilium a lily, cognate with Gk. leirion, both perhaps borrowed from a corrupted pronunciation of an Egyptian word. Used in O.T. to translate Heb. shoshanna and in N.T. to translate Gk. krinon. The lily of… …   Etymology dictionary

  • lily — [lil′ē] n. pl. lilies [ME lilie < OE < L lilium] 1. any of a large genus (Lilium) of perennial plants of the lily family, grown from a bulb and having typically trumpet shaped flowers, white or colored 2. the flower or the bulb of any of… …   English World dictionary

  • Lily — Lily, SD U.S. town in South Dakota Population (2000): 21 Housing Units (2000): 14 Land area (2000): 0.303393 sq. miles (0.785785 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.303393 sq. miles (0.785785 sq.… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Lily, SD — U.S. town in South Dakota Population (2000): 21 Housing Units (2000): 14 Land area (2000): 0.303393 sq. miles (0.785785 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.303393 sq. miles (0.785785 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • -lily — Few adjectives in ly form adverbs in lily because they are too awkward to use. As Fowler noted (1926), ‘it is always possible to say in a masterly manner, at a timely moment, and the like, instead of masterlily, timelily’. Some adjectives in ly… …   Modern English usage

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”