What is "lilium candidum"

Lily \Lil"y\ (l[i^]l"[y^]), n.; pl. Lilies (l[i^]l"[i^]z).

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 Lilium longiflorum are the common white lilies of gardens; Lilium Philadelphicum is the wild red lily of the Atlantic States. Lilium Chalcedonicum is supposed to be the ``lily of the field'' in our Lord's parable; Lilium 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.

4. (Auction Bridge) A royal spade; -- usually in pl. See Royal spade, below.

   African lily (Bot.), the blue-flowered Agapanthus umbellatus.

   Atamasco lily (Bot.), a plant of the genus Zephyranthes ( Zephyranthes 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.

   Lily of the valley (Bot.), a low perennial herb ( Convallaria majalis), having a raceme of nodding, fragrant, white flowers.

   Lily pad, the large floating leaf of the water lily. [U. S.]
   --Lowell.

   Tiger lily (Bot.), Lilium tigrinum, the sepals of which are blotched with black.

   Turk's-cap lily (Bot.) Lilium Martagon, a red lily with recurved sepals; also, the similar American lily, Lilium superbum.

   Water lily (Bot.), the Nymph[ae]a, a plant with floating roundish leaves, and large flowers having many petals, usually white, but sometimes pink, red, blue, or yellow.

madonna lily \madonna lily\ n. (Bot.) A lily ( Lilium candidum) of the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans with broad funnel-shaped white flowers.

Syn: white lily, Annunciation lily, Lent lily, Lilium candidum.

Annunciation lily \An*nun`ci*a"tion lil"y\ (Bot.) The common white lily ( Lilium candidum). So called because it is usually introduced by painters in pictures of the Annunciation.

Easter lily \Eas"ter lil`y\ (Bot.) Any one of various lilies or lilylike flowers which bloom about Easter; specif.:

1. The common white lily ( Lilium candidum), called also Annunciation lily.

2. The larger white lily ( Lilium longiflorum eximium, syn. L. Harrisii) called also Bermuda lily.

3. The daffodil ( Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus).

4. The Atamasco lily.

Lilium candidum, the Madonna lily, is a plant in the true lily family. It is native to Balkans and the Middle East, and naturalized in other parts of Europe ( France, Italy, Ukraine, etc.) as well as in North Africa, the Canary Islands, Mexico, and other places. It forms bulbs at ground level, and unlike other lilies, has a basal rosette of leaves through the winter, which die back in summer. A leafy flower stem, typically up to high, sometimes up to high, emerges in late spring and bears sweetly and headily fragrant flowers in summer. Flowers are white, flushed yellow at the base.

It has long been cultivated, but is susceptible to virus diseases of lilies, and to Botrytis fungus. One possible way to avoid problems with viruses is to grow plants raised from seed.