The RHS is the International Registration Authority for lilies, and publishes a Register of cultivar names used in the genus. Regular supplements are published to update the Register. These publications are available from the mail order department of RHS Enterprises at Wisley.
Lily classification
The Seventeenth Supplement to the International Lily Register (published in 1999) introduced a system of dual subdivisions for every newly registered lily. Prior to this publication, subdivisions had only been used in some of the horticultural divisions into which the genus has been split and the characters involved varied with the division created.
Now, both flower habit ((a) up-, (b) out- or (c) down-facing) and flower form ((a) trumpet, (b) bowl, (c) flat or (d) recurved) are indicated for each entry when this information has been supplied by the registrant. The existing lettering is retained with flower habit given first, separated from flower form by a forward slash mark (/). Thus the entry for 1(b/c) 'Aloft' represents an Asiatic Lily (Division 1) with out-facing, flat-faced flowers.
At present, there is no intention to systematically revise all existing Register entries to include a dual subdivision but when the relevant information is available, it will be added to the record.
It is not a requirement that dual submission be used at all times. The way in which the information is presented means that, where for a particular purpose it is necessary, one or both can be ignored. Their inclusion, however, together with the division number, helps to present, in an abbreviated form, a quick 'picture' of the flower concerned. For a full account of any plant, it is necessary to refer to the description.
Application form for registration of a lily name (Adobe Acrobat pdf 149KB)
Get Acrobat Reader software To view this document you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. We strongly recommend that you download the latest version to prevent problems viewing the documents. This is available free from the Adobe website. Click on the logo to go to the website.
The International Lily Register 1982
Further reading
Leslie, A.C. (1982). The International Lily Register. London: RHS.
Supplements 2 to 20 for The International Lily Register are also available.
The 20th Supplement to The International Lily Register is now available as a download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format (340KB). Click here to download it
