Former lily family members: A Allium sphaerocephalon; B Asparagus sprengeri (ferny stems, flowers, berries); C Triteleia (syn. Brodiaea) laxa; D Hemerocallis hybrid; E Disporum flavens; F Hemerocallis ‘Lemon Gem’; G Polygonatum humile; H Uvularia grandiflora; I Chlorophytum amaniense; J Hemerocallis ‘Spiritual Corridor’; K Mianthemum (syn. Smilacina) racemosa.

 

The possible splitting of the poppy family pales in comparison to what has already happened among the lilies. In recent times, Liliaceae was shattered into dozens of families. We used to be able to look at a yucca and say “lily,” or a hosta, or even asparagus. Liliaceae united plants with parallel leaf veins and often three-part fragrant flowers. The family was also a convenient place to drop off orphans. Now it is lonelier, a nearly empty nest. Clintonia (yellow corn-lily, bead lily), Erythronium (trout lily), Fritillaria, Tricyrtis (toad lily), Tulipa, and Lilium itself, the garden or true lily, remain in the family.

Common names don’t clear up the matter. Many plants with lily in their names never have been in the family, be they water lily, peace lily, or calla lily. Lily-of-the-valley and daylilies once were but are no longer members.

Plants continue to get nudged and prodded by taxono-mists, sometimes based on DNA research, to be renamed and divided. Solomon’s seal and other Polygonatum species are now Ruscaceae. Disporum and Uvularia are very similar to the Solomon’s seals, but have been moved to Colchicaceae. The false Solomon’s seal, Smilacina racemosa, got its genus changed to Maianthemum and became part of Ruscaceae along with the mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) and the superficially quite different, old-fashioned cast iron plant (Aspidistra).

The alliums, which include bulb-forming ornamental and edible plants like onion and garlic, are now Alliaceae. Asparagus is now in Asparagaceae. The botanical jury is still out on the 200 species in the genus Chlorophytum (like the spider plant, Chlorophytum comosum). Some think Agavaceae should claim it along with Camassia (quamash, Indian hyacinth), Cordyline, Furcraea, Yucca, and, believe it or not, Hosta.

The flowering bulbs were, perhaps, most agonizingly wrenched away from the lily family. Familiar plants like daffodils, hyacinths, Leucojum, Brodiaea (Triteleia), Ornithogalum, and scilla all reside elsewhere now. Other spring-blooming former lilies include three-petal trillium and Paris.

If you look at the prominent unbranched veins in the leaves of the lily outcasts, you can see why they were once thought to be closely related. All of this lumping and splitting of plants really doesn’t matter to the home gardener. There aren’t even that many horticultural generalities to be drawn. For instance, plants in a given family do not always have the same care requirements. On the other hand, genealogy has become a very popular hobby these days.

Endymion hispanicus (formerly Scilla campanulata, Scilla hispanica) at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.