Give an account of the family Liliaceae.

Explanation

Vegetative characters :
Habitat : Plants may be mesophytes (Allium, Lilium) as well as xerophytes (Asparagus, Ruscus, Aloe) are found in this family.
Habit : Plants are mostly perennial herbs. In some plants like Dracanena, Yucca, Aloe etc., Shrubs or trees are also found. Few are climbers (Glorioa, Smilax).
Root system : It is adventitious root system. In Asparagus fasciculated tuberous roots are present.
Stem : In majority of the species the stem is underground and perennial. It may be a bulb (Scilla, Allium, Lilium), a Rhizome (Gloriosa) or a corm (Colchicum). The aerial stem is weak in tendril climbers like Gloriosa, Smilax etc. Stem is aerial and shows anomalous secondary growth in Dracaena and Yucca. Branches are modified into cladophyllus (Asperagus Ruscus).
Leaf : The leaves may be radical (Alliium, Lilium) or cauline (Smilax, Gloriosa). Alternat phyllotaxy is common. Leaves are petiolate, simple stipulate or exstipulate. Venation is usually parallel, but exceptionally reticulate in Smilax. Leaves are succulent in yucca and Aloe.
Floral Characters :
Inflorescence : Solitary cyme or umbel or raceme.
Flower : The flowers are usually bracteate, ebracteolate, pedicellate, actinomorphic, complete. Bisexual, homochlamydeous, trimerous and hypogynous. Exceptionally flowers are unisexual in Smilax and Ruscus.
Perianth : It consists of six tepals arranged in two whorls of three each. The odd tepal is anterior in position. The aestivation is valvate.
Androecium : Stamens are six, arranged into whrols of three each. Epiphyllous (Asparagus). Anthers are dithecous, basifixed, introrse and dehiscence is longitudinal.
Gynoecium : It is tricarpellary and syncarpous. The oary is superior and trilocular with several anatropous ovules on axile placentation. The style is terminal and stigma is trified and capitate.
Floral Formula :
Pollination : It is of entomophilous type. Flowers may be protandrous (Allium) or protogynous (Colchicum) in Glorisa flowers show herkogamy.
Fruit : It may be a berry (Asparagus, Smilax) or loculicidal capsule (Lilium) or septicidal capsule (Gloriosa).
Seed : It is endospermic with straight or sometimes curved embryo and monocotyledonous. Polyembryony is seen in some memebrs (Allium).