The Lily of the valley reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Lily of the valley

Lily of the valley
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsidae Order: Liliales Family: Liliaceae Genus: Convallaria Species: majalis
Binomial name
Convallaria majalis

Lily of the valley is a flowering plant of the Convallaria genus. (synonyms: May lily, May bells, Our Lady's tears, Convall-lily, Lily Constancy, ladder-to-Heaven, Jacob's Ladder, male lily, muguet)

This richly fragrant groundcover, flowering in late spring with plump pendant bells on an arching raceme, is a widespread native in North America, Europe and temperate Asia. Found mainly in shadowed gardens in the northern hemisphere. A less robust, shell-pink flowering form is sometimes seen in gardens.
Leaves and flowers contain cardiac glycosides that have been used in medicine for centuries. In overdose preparations can be poisonous.

The name "Lily of the Valley" is possibly of Biblical origin; it is mentioned directly in Song of Songs 2:1, although the exact botanical reference of the Hebrew word "shoshana" (usually translated "lily") remains uncertain.

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