True lilies are erect perennial plants with leafy stems, scaly bulbs, usually narrow leaves, and solitary or clustered flowers. The flowers consist of six petal-like segments, which may form the shape of a trumpet, with a more or less elongated tube. Alternatively, the segments may be reflexed (curved back) to form a turban shape, or they may be less strongly reflexed and form an open cup or bowl shape.
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 to 4 feet); plants of certain species, however, exceed 2.5 metres (8 feet) in height.
Lilies are among the oldest cultivated plants. In Asia Minor during the 2nd millennium BCE 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.
With such a wide and beautiful variety within the species, lilies remain an important part of symbolism in cultures and literature around the world.
