Article

In the last twenty years a growing number of studies emphasized the occurrence of female-sterile reproductive systems within the monocot order Liliales. The occurrence of male flowers is here documented for the first time in Fritillaria involucrata, F. messanensis, F. montana, F. persica, Lilium bulbiferum subsp. croceum and Tulipa sylvestris. Increasingly frequent observations of female-sterile systems within the order, and particularly in Liliaceae, suggest they could have an evolutionary significance.