Saturday, June 25, 2022

Lily of the valley = Convallaria majalis

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), sometimes written lily-of-the-valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe, but is considered generally invasive in parts of North America.

Despite its name, it is actually not really a lily.  it is scientifically classified as a part of the Asparagaceae (asparagus ) family. 
 


Taxonomy

In the APG III system, the genus is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae). It was formerly placed in its own family Convallariaceae, and, like many lilioid monocots, before that in the lily family Liliaceae.
 
There are three varieties that have sometimes been separated out as distinct species or subspecies by some botanists.
Convallaria majalis var. keiskei – from China and Japan, with red fruit and bowl-shaped flowers
Convallaria majalis var. majalis – from Eurasia, with white midribs on the flowers
Convallaria majalis var. montana – from the United States, with green-tinted midribs on the flowers
 




Mention in Bible

I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
Song of Songs 2:1

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