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liliesmore about lilies

lilies

 

  1  definition  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Lily  \Lil"y\  (l[i^]l"[y^]),  n.;  pl  {Lilies}  (-[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  stamens,  and  a  superior 
  three-celled  ovary. 
 
  Note:  There  are  nearly  fifty  species,  all  found  in  the  North 
  Temperate  zone.  {Lilium  candidum}  and  {L.  longiflorum} 
  are  the  common  white  lilies  of  gardens;  {L. 
  Philadelphicum}  is  the  wild  red  lily  of  the  Atlantic 
  States;  {L.  Chalcedonicum}  is  supposed  to  be  the  ``lily 
  of  the  field''  in  our  Lord's  parable;  {L.  auratum}  is 
  the  great  gold-banded  lily  of  Japan. 
 
  2.  (Bot.)  A  name  given  to  handsome  flowering  plants  of 
  several  genera,  having  some  resemblance  in  color  or  form 
  to  a  true  lily,  as  {Pancratium},  {Crinum},  {Amaryllis}, 
  {Nerine},  etc 
 
  3.  That  end  of  a  compass  needle  which  should  point  to  the 
  north;  --  so  called  as  often  ornamented  with  the  figure  of 
  a  lily  or  fleur-de-lis. 
 
  But  sailing  further,  it  veers  its  lily  to  the  west. 
  --Sir  T. 
  Browne. 
 
  {African  lily}  (Bot.),  the  blue-flowered  {Agapanthus 
  umbellatus}. 
 
  {Atamasco  lily}  (Bot.),  a  plant  of  the  genus  {Zephyranthes} 
  ({Z.  Atamasco}),  having  a  white  and  pink  funnelform 
  perianth,  with  six  petal-like  divisions  resembling  those 
  of  a  lily.  --Gray. 
 
  {Blackberry  lily}  (Bot.),  the  {Pardanthus  Chinensis},  the 
  black  seeds  of  which  form  a  dense  mass  like  a  blackberry. 
 
 
  {Bourbon  lily}  (Bot.),  {Lilium  candidum}.  See  Illust. 
 
  {Butterfly  lily}.  (Bot.)  Same  as  {Mariposa  lily},  in  the 
  Vocabulary. 
 
  {Lily  beetle}  (Zool.),  a  European  beetle  ({Crioceris 
  merdigera})  which  feeds  upon  the  white  lily. 
 
  {Lily  daffodil}  (Bot.),  a  plant  of  the  genus  {Narcissus},  and 
  its  flower. 
 
  {Lily  encrinite}  (Paleon.),  a  fossil  encrinite,  esp. 
  {Encrinus  liliiformis}.  See  {Encrinite}. 
 
  {Lily  hyacinth}  (Bot.),  a  plant  of  the  genus  {Hyacinthus}. 
 
  {Lily  iron},  a  kind  of  harpoon  with  a  detachable  head  of 
  peculiar  shape,  used  in  capturing  swordfish.




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