Hymenocallis

Spider lily
Temporal range: 24.46 –0 Ma Late Oligocene – Recent[1]
Hymenocallis caribaea flower
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Hymenocallis
Salisb.[2][3]
Type species
Hymenocallis littoralis
(Jacq.) Salisb.[4][5]
Synonyms[6]
  • Liriopsis Rchb.
  • Choretis Herb.
  • Nemepiodon Raf.
  • Siphotoma Raf.
  • Tomodon Raf.
  • Troxistemon Raf.

Hymenocallis /ˌhaɪmɪnəˈkælɪs/[7] (US) or /ˌhaɪmɛnoʊˈkælɪs/[8] (UK) is a genus of flowering plants in the amaryllis family native to the Americas.[9]

Hymenocallis contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Some species are cultivated as ornamentals in warm nations around the globe, and a few have become naturalized in parts of Africa and on various tropical islands.[6] Many of the species from the Caribbean and from the southeastern United States inhabit wet areas such as marshes, streambanks, and seashores. Some species even have floating seeds. Some of the Mexican species, in contrast, grow on grassy slopes in hills and mountains.[10]

The flower stalks arise from basal rosettes of strap-shaped leaves. The terminal clusters of fragrant flowers are green, white or yellow, and can be large and spectacular. The genus name is derived from the Greek words ὑμήν (hymen), meaning "membrane", and καλός (kalos), meaning "beautiful". It refers to the curious shape of the flowers, which consist of six narrow, curved petals attached to a shallow cup that is formed from the fused stamens. The effect is of a spidery daffodil or lily, thus explaining the common name "spider lily".[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Meerow et al., 2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Genus: Hymenocallis Salisb". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2010-01-27. Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
  3. ^ Salisbury, Richard Anthony. 1812. Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London 1: 338
  4. ^ lectotype designated by N. L. Britton & A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N.U.S. ed. 2. 1: 533 (1913)
  5. ^ Tropicos, Hymenocallis Salisb.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference KewWC_H was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  8. ^ Johnson, A.T.; Smith, H.A. & Stockdale, A.P. (2019), Plant Names Simplified : Their Pronunciation Derivation & Meaning, Sheffield, Yorkshire: 5M Publishing, ISBN 9781910455067, p. 76
  9. ^ Stevens, P.F., Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Amaryllidoideae
  10. ^ a b RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.