Lilies 101-Help with indenification of Lily Forms.

I’m a novice about lilies and the correct terms, but have been collecting them for a couple of years now. I realize that this if probably a dumb question but, I’m if the process of trying to note in correct lily terms my lilies that I own in my records. I’m bored with this winter weather and decided to make this a winter project. I’ve noticed that lily enthusiasts use the following terms in describing a particular lily’s shape and form. Please help me to recognize these forms of lilies. I was thinking that may be if someone would illustrate by a picture it would help me to recognize the different forms.
Trumpet
Bowel
Flat
Tepals
Recurved
Ruffled
Any help would be appreciated.

Recurved / Reflexed

Flat

Trumpet

Ruffled

Bowl

Anyone interested in growing lilies should have a copy of "Let's Grow Lilies" http://www.lilies.org/nals-on-line-store.html Perhaps you can find a lily society near you.

I asked this before, but is there any book that has up to date pictures of the different cultivars. Like a lily Hostapedia?

This thread is very helpful. Glad you asked the question.

No book or website that I know of ~ just the Lily Register which doesn't have many pics http://www.lilyregister.com/register/

The only other option is a couple lily sellers have their own reference library.

Moby, thanks so much for the help. I already have the book, I joined NALS about a year ago, per the suggestion on this forum. I'm sorry to say I read the book quickly and didn't remember that they described lily forms. I was being lazy and love to use this site to find out lily information from the experts. .
Debbie
PS. I quess tepal is not a term used a lot when discussing lilies forms. I'm using a new computer program that is just being developed and the person developing it used tepal, under the form section. I hadn't seen the term before and looked it up in the gardening terms on Dave's. I know what it is now. I think I'll let him know that when describing lily forms it is not a necessary term. He should make it easier and just use flower color, as a separate entry.
Once again thanks for the help

Also, realize that all of the flower shapes mentioned can have any aspect: upfacing, outfacing or downfacing.

Thanks Moby!

We are currently working on a TWiki for irises. maybe one for lilies would be appropriate.

Thanks, Leftwood, as I'm analyzing my lilies I'm noticing just that.

Once again I have a novice lily question. When you are measuring the bloom size of a lily it’s the lily’s diameter and that is what is important. In the computer program the designer is using a space for a petals length and petals width. I think this should be changed to only the bloom size. He is also using in the leaf section the leaf length and leaf width which I don’t think is important. Please advise as to what you think.

He should make it easier and just use flower color, as a separate entry.

I won't ague with that if simplicity for easy of understanding is more important, but I do take the position that tepals (referencing sepals and petals together) is a needed term in the Lilium genus.

Sometimes sepals may be strongly recurved, while petals are only slightly recurved on the same flower (pic below). Also notice here that sepals are ruffled, while petals are not, and that in generally sepals are very different from petals in this flower. Such cases warrant the need for differentiation. Other circumstances better accommodate the use of "tepals", emphasizing the unnecessary need for differentiation, when referenced characteristics are uniform throughout. In this case, the use of "petals" or "sepals" would be inaccurate, and one would correctly use "petals and sepals" or "tepals". Either way, one is going to have to learn what sepals are, in relation to true petals. "Tepals", then, is an extension of the learned definition, and should come naturally.

Regarding your last post, dlefferts, I would have to disagree on both points.

The more accurate measurement is the length and width of petals and sepals. Depending on the shape of the flower, the total flower size can change as the flower ages, while the petal and sepal dimensions remain the same. The next two pics are a case in point: not fully open, the flower is "larger" by your standard, than when it is mature. Depending on climate and health of a lily, the flower may not display its mature form completely. If it were your first time growing it, how would you know?

I would say, however, that total bloom size is helpful to both novice and advanced growers alike, and I would add that parameter in the program if it were me.

Mature flower.

Leaf dimensions, as well as number of prominent veins in a leaf, leaf arrangement and other leaf characteristics are important in lily species and cultivar identification. You may want to take a look at this thread http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/695580/ I love the varied foliage of lilies!

Polly ~ the wiki for irises sounds wonderful. I have a devil of a time finding information and pics.

It sounds like this program was originally for daylilies. As for bloom size, some folks might like to make a note regarding length, such as for trumpets and their ilk. A space for foliage notes would be appreciated too, as I like to record interesting observations. Things such as curling, hairy etc..

Thanks everyone. I now see the importance in leaf and tepal measurements. I'm starting to try and grow species thus these are important. Yes the programer started the plant program with daylilies and is using them as the master. He has worked on the daylily section of the program for at least three years-it is quite something. He is now using it as the basis for his other programs Iris, Hosta, Roses etc. Once again thanks for the information.

Would "Bowls" qualify as upward facing?

Yes, the 'bowl' pic is upfacing. But as Lefty mentioned above ~

"...all of the flower shapes mentioned can have any aspect: upfacing, outfacing or downfacing."

thanks