David wrote: " I think I detect a hint of sarcasm..." David, yes, I was poking fun; but no, it was not meant as sarcasm - I was not trying to draw blood. Evidently you understood what I was intending very well. I thought your statement about calling anything anything was pretty outrageous. I followed your advice and called Ranunculus ficaria lilies. Here's a peace offering. You expressed an interest in learning more about the Japanese lilies and their names. The yearbooks of the North American Lily Society contain many articles on Japanese lilies scattered over the decades since 1947-8. Look in particular for articles authored by Moto'o Shimizu to get started, but there are many others. If you need some help with this, let me know. Jim McKenney