Lily of the valley
| Lily-of-the-valley | |
|---|---|
| Inflorescence (image taken in Keila, Estonia) | |
| Fruit (image taken in Poland) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Convallarioideae |
| Genus: | Convallaria |
| Species: | C. majalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Convallaria majalis | |
Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis), also written as 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 to Europe, Western Asia and Northern Asia.
The former varieties Convallaria majalis var. montana (native to eastern North America) and Convallaria majalis var. keiskei (native to eastern Asia), are now split as the separate species Convallaria pseudomajalis, and Convallaria keiskei, respectively.
Due to the high concentration of potent cardiac glycosides (cardenolides), it is highly poisonous if consumed by humans or other animals.
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).