LILIACEAE, the Lily Family
Herbs or twining shrubs, with generally conspicuous flowers; sepals and petals each 3, and usually colored alike, stamens 6, ovary 3-celled, superior. In one species the perianth is 4-parted and the stamens are 4.
| 1a. Flowers or flower-clusters lateral, axillary or apparently so [— 2.] | |
| 1b. Flowers or flower-clusters scapose or terminal [— 12.] | |
| 2a. Leaves minute and scale-like (7-15 dm. high; flowers greenish-yellow, June) | Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis. |
| 2b. Leaves broad and flat, not scale-like [— 3.] | |
| 3a. Flowers numerous in rounded umbels; perianth-segments nearly separate; leaves long-petioled [— 4.] | |
| 3b. Flowers in clusters of 1-8; leaves short-petioled, sessile, or clasping [— 8.] | |
| 4a. Stems herbaceous (flowers greenish-yellow, ill-scented) (Carrion-flower) [— 5.] | |
| 4b. Stems woody, thorny, climbing (flowers greenish-yellow, early summer) (Green Brier) [— 7.] | |
| 5a. Stems climbing by tendrils [— 6.] | |
| 5b. Stem not climbing; only the upper leaves, or none, with tendrils | Carrion-flower, Smilax ecirrhata. |
| 6a. Leaves smooth beneath. | Carrion-flower, Smilax herbacea. |
| 6b. Leaves minutely pubescent beneath when mature | Carrion-flower, Smilax herbacea var. pulverulenta. |
| 7a. Leaves with 5 principal veins. | Green Brier, Smilax rotundifolia. |
| 7b. Leaves with 7 principal veins. | Green Brier, Smilax hispida. |
| 8a. Perianth-segments united into a tube (flowers axillary, late spring) (Solomon's Seal) [— 9.] | |
| 8b. Perianth-segments separate (2-8 dm. high; spring) (Twisted-stalk) [— 10.] | |
| 9a. Leaves minutely pubescent beneath; filaments rough, inserted at three-fourths the length of the perianth (3-8 dm. high) | Small Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum biflorum. |
| 9b. Leaves smooth beneath; filaments smooth, inserted at the middle of the perianth tube (5-15 dm. high) | Great Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum commutatum. |
| 10a. Leaves distinctly clasping the stem; flowers greenish-white | Twisted-stalk, Streptopus amplexifolius. |
| 10b. Leaves closely sessile; flowers reddish to purple [— 11.] | |
| 11a. Rootstock short and thick; berries spherical | Twisted-stalk, Streptopus roseus. |
| 11b. Rootstock long and slender; berries 3-angled | Twisted-stalk, Streptopus longipes. |
| 12a. Perianth-segments 5-12 cm. long [— 13.] | |
| 12b. Perianth-segments shorter than 5 cm. [— 19.] | |
| 13a. Leaves all or chiefly basal, stem-leaves bract-like or none [— 14.] | |
| 13b. Leaves chiefly or entirely on the stem [— 15.] | |
| 14a. Leaves numerous, linear or sword-shape (flowers orange, summer) | Day Lily, Hemerocallis fulva. |
| 14b. Leaves a single pair, oblong or lanceolate [— 21.] | |
| 15a. Leaves a single whorl of 3 (Wake Robin, Trillium) [— 22.] | |
| 15b. Leaves numerous (6-12 dm. high; flowers yellow, orange, or red, in summer) (Lily) [— 16.] | |
| 16a. Flowers erect [— 17.] | |
| 16b. Flowers nodding [— 18.] | |
| 17a. Leaves narrowly lanceolate, 6-15 mm. wide, mostly whorled | Wood Lily, Lilium philadelphicum. |
| 17b. Leaves linear, 5 mm. wide or less, almost all alternate | Wood Lily, Lilium philadelphicum var. andinum. |
| 18a. Perianth-segments strongly revolute | Turk's-cap Lily, Lilium superbum. |
| 18b. Perianth-segments half-recurved | Yellow Lily, Lilium canadense. |
| 19a. Flower solitary [— 20.] | |
| 19b. Flowers in clusters, not solitary [— 31.] | |
| 20a. Stem with a single pair of basal leaves (Dog's-tooth Violet) [— 21.] | |
| 20b. Stem with a single whorl of 3 leaves (1-3 dm. high; spring) (Wake Robin, Trillium) [— 22.] | |
| 20c. Stem leafy (Bellwort) [— 29.] | |
| 21a. Perianth yellow | Dog's-tooth Violet, Erythronium americanum. |
| 21b. Perianth white, bluish, or pinkish | Dog's-tooth Violet, Erythronium albidum. |
| 22a. Flower sessile, red or brown [ — 23.] | |
| 22b. Flower peduncled, white or pink, rarely red [— 24.] | |
| 23a. Leaves sessile, sepals spreading | Wake Robin, Trillium sessile. |
| 23b. Leaves short-petioled, sepals reflexed | Wake Robin, Trillium recurvatum. |
| 24a. Ovary with 6 distinct wing-like angles [— 25.] | |
| 24b. Ovary obtusely 3-angled or lobed [— 28.] | |
| 25a. Stamens distinctly longer than the pistil [— 26.] | |
| 25b. Stamens equaling or shorter than the pistil [— 27.] | |
| 26a. Stigmas erect or nearly so, slender | Wake Robin, Trillium grandiflorum. |
| 26b. Stigmas strongly recurved or spreading | Wake Robin, Trillium erectum. |
| 27a. Filaments about as long as the anthers | Wake Robin, Trillium cernuum. |
| 27b. Filaments half as long as the anthers or shorter | Wake Robin, Trillium declinatum. |
| 28a. Leaves obtuse; petals obtuse, white | Dwarf White Trillium, Trillium nivale. |
| 28b. Leaves acuminate; petals acute, purple-striped at base | Painted Trillium, Trillium undulatum. |
| 29a. Leaves sessile (3-6 dm. high; flowers yellow, spring) | Bellwort, Oakesia sessilifolia. |
| 29b. Leaves perfoliate (4-6 dm. high; flowers yellow, in spring) [— 30.] | |
| 30a. Leaves minutely pubescent beneath | Bellwort, Uvularia grandiflora. |
| 30b. Leaves glabrous and all glaucous | Bellwort, Uvularia perfoliata. |
| 31a. Stem bearing 2 whorls of 3-9 leaves (3-6 dm. high; flowers pale yellow, early summer) | Indian Cucumber-root, Medeola virginiana. |
| 31b. Stem-leaves not whorled, or all leaves basal [— 32.] | |
| 32a. Flowers in umbels [— 33.] | |
| 32b. Flowers in racemes or panicles [— 38.] | |
| 33a. Plant with the odor of onions or garlic (leaves all or chiefly basal; flower-stalks 2-8 dm. high, late spring or summer) [— 34.] | |
| 33b. Plant not with the odor of onions (leaves basal; flower-stalks 2-3 dm. high, with an umbel of 3-6 greenish-yellow flowers in late spring) | Clintonia, Clintonia borealis. |
| 34a. Leaves oblong, 2-5 cm. wide, not present when the plants are in bloom (greenish-white flowers) | Wild Leek, Allium tricoccum. |
| 34b. Leaves linear, present with the flowers [— 35.] | |
| 35a. Umbel nodding or horizontal (petals rose-color) | Wild Onion, Allium cernuum. |
| 35b. Umbel erect [— 36.] | |
| 36a. Pedicels longer than the flowers [— 37.] | |
| 36b. Pedicels equaling or shorter than the flowers (petals rose-purple) | Wild Chives, Allium schoenoprasum var. sibiricum. |
| 37a. Leaves flattened; flowers pink to white | Wild Onion, Allium canadense. |
| 37b. Leaves cylindrical; flowers greenish to purple | Field Garlic, Allium vineale. |
| 38a. Leaves lanceolate to ovate, not more than 8 times as long as broad [— 39.] | |
| 38b. Leaves linear or grass-like, at least 12 times as long as broad [— 45.] | |
| 39a. Principal leaves all basal, stem-leaves none or bract-like [— 40.] | |
| 39b. Principal leaves on the stem [— 41.] | |
| 40a. Flowers in a spike-like raceme (4-10 dm. high; small white flowers in summer) | Colic-root, Aletris farinosa. |
| 40b. Flowers in an umbel-like cluster — 34b. | |
| 41a. Perianth-segments 4 (1-2 dm. high; flowers white, early summer) | Wild Lily of the Valley, Maianthemum canadense. |
| 41b. Perianth-segments 6 [— 42.] | |
| 42a. Styles 3; flowers dioecious (3-10 dm. high; flowers white, early summer) | Blazing Star, Chamaelirium luteum. |
| 42b. Style 1; flowers perfect, white, in spring (False Solomon's Seal) [— 43.] | |
| 43a. Flowers panicled (3-6 dm. high) | False Solomon's Seal, Smilacina racemosa. |
| 43b. Flowers racemed [— 44.] | |
| 44a. Leaves 2-4, usually 3 (1-2 dm. high) | False Solomon's Seal, Smilacina trifolia. |
| 44b. Leaves 5-12 (2-5 dm. high) | False Solomon's Seal, Smilacina stellata. |
| 45a. Flowers bright blue; perianth-segments united (2-3 dm. high, spring) | Grape Hyacinth, Muscari botryoides. |
| 45b. Flowers blue, greenish, yellowish, or white; perianth-segments separate [— 46.] | |
| 46a. Flowers 1 cm. wide, or smaller (white or greenish, in racemes, late spring or summer) (False Asphodel) [— 47.] | |
| 46b. Flowers 1.5 cm. wide, or larger [— 48.] | |
| 47a. Stem glabrous (2 dm. high or less) | False Asphodel, Tofieldia palustris. |
| 47b. Stem viscid-pubescent (1-5 dm. high) | False Asphodel, Tofieldia glutinosa. |
| 48a. Perianth-segments with 2 glands near the base (3-8 dm. high; greenish-white panicled flowers in summer) | Zygadenus, Zygadenus chloranthus. |
| 48b. Perianth-segments without glands [— 49.] | |
| 49a. Plant 3-5 dm. tall; flowers blue or nearly white, in long racemes (early summer) | Wild Hyacinth, Camassia esculenta. |
| 49b. Plant 1-3 dm. tall; flowers greenish-white, in short corymb-like racemes (spring) | Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum. |
DIOSCOREACEAE, the Yam Family
Twining herbs with net-veined leaves and greenish or white flowers in panicles or racemes.
| One species in Michigan; leaves ovate-cordate; flowers in summer | Wild Yam, Dioscorea villosa. |
AMARYLLIDACEAE, the Amaryllis Family
Plants with linear basal leaves, and perfect flowers, with 6-parted perianth, inferior ovary, and 6 stamens.
| One species in Michigan; 1-2 dm. high; flowers yellow, 1 cm. wide, in spring | Star Grass, Hypoxis hirsuta. |