Lily of the valley | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Inflorescence | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Asparagaceae |
Subfamily: | Nolinoideae |
Genus: | Convallaria |
Species: | C. majalis
|
Binomial name | |
Convallaria majalis |
Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis /ˌkɒnvəˈlɛəriə məˈdʒeɪlɪs/),[2] sometimes written lily-of-the-valley,[3] 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.[4][5] Convallaria majalis var. montana, also known as the American lily of the valley, is native to North America.[6][7]
Due to the concentration of cardiac glycosides (cardenolides), it is highly poisonous if consumed by humans or other animals.[8][9]
Other names include May bells, Our Lady's tears, and Mary's tears. Its French name, muguet, sometimes appears in the names of perfumes imitating the flower's scent. In pre-modern England, the plant was known as glovewort (as it was a wort used to create a salve for sore hands), or Apollinaris (according to a legend that it was discovered by Apollo).[10]
glovewort.
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search