font settings

Font Size: Large | Normal | Small
Font Face: Verdana | Geneva | Georgia

Amaryllidaceae

(Family)

Overview

[ Back to top ]

Amaryllidaceae are a family of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous flowering plants included in the monocot order Asparagales. The family takes its name from the genus Amaryllis, hence the common name of the Amaryllis family.

There have been widely differing views as to the limits of the family. The most recent APG classification (APG III takes a broad view of the Amaryllidaceae, which then has three subfamilies, the Agapanthoideae (the old Agapanthaceae family), the Allioideae (the old Alliaceae family) and the Amaryllidoideae (the old Amaryllidaceae family).1] With this definition, the family includes about 75 genera and 1600 species.[2]

Plants have rather fleshy and two-ranked leaves and flowers typically arranged in umbels at the apex of leafless flowering stems, or scapes. The Agapanthoideae have superior ovaries, as do the Allioideae, the onion subfamily. The Allioideae produce compounds which give them their characteristic smell. The Amaryllidoideae have inferior ovaries.[3]

he Allioideae, the onion subfamily. The Allioideae produce compounds which give them their characteristic smell. The Amaryllidoideae have inferior ovaries.[3]

References

[ Back to top ]
  1. ^ Chase, M.W.; Reveal, J.L. & Fay, M.F. (2009), "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae", Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 161: 132?6 
  2. ^ Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Amaryllidaceae, http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/orders/asparagalesweb.htm#Amaryllidaceae 
  3. ^ Mary Jane McGary. 2001. Bulbs of North America. Timber Press, pp. 251. ISBN 0-88192-511-X

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

The Family Amaryllidaceae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

[ Back to top ]

Abapus

[more]

Acis

In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Acis (Greek: ????) was the spirit of the Acis River in Sicily, beloved of the nereid, or sea-nymph, Galatea (Ga??te?a; "she who is milk-white"). Galatea returned the love of Acis, but a jealous suitor, the Sicilian Cyclops Polyphemus, killed him with a boulder. Distraught, Galatea then turned his blood into the river Acis. The Acis River flowed past Akion (Acium) near Mount Etna in Sicily. [more]

Aidema

[more]

Ajax

[more]

Amarcrinum

??Amarcrinum is the scientific name applied to those hybrid plants obtained from the cross between the genera Amaryllis and Crinum. These plants have tidy leaves and bear large umbels of long lasting, fragrant flowers on tall scapes during late summer and autumn. [more]

Amarine

[more]

Amarygia

[more]

Amaryllis

Amaryllis " class="IPA">/?m?'r?l?s/) is a small genus of flowering bulbs, with two species. The better known of the two, Amaryllis belladonna, is a native of South Africa, particularly the rocky southwest region near the Cape. For many years there was confusion amongst botanists over the generic names Amaryllis and Hippeastrum, one result of which is that the common name "amaryllis" is mainly used for cultivars of the genus Hippeastrum, widely sold in the winter months for their ability to bloom indoors. Plants of the genus Amaryllis are known as belladonna lily, naked lady, or amarillo. [more]

Ammocharis

Ammocharis is a genus in the Amaryllidaceae family (subfamily Amaryllidoideae) which includes 6 species distributed in Africa. The plant grows as a succulent, above-ground bulb, preferring seasonally wet, hot, sandy soils and full sun. [more]

Anax

(??a?, from earlier ?a?a? wanax) is an ancient Greek word for "(tribal) king, lord, (military) leader". It is one of the two Greek titles traditionally translated as "king", the other being basileus. Anax is the more archaic term of the two, inherited from the Mycenaean period, and is notably used in Homeric Greek, e.g. of Agamemnon. [more]

Androstephanos

[more]

Anoiganthus

Cyrtanthus is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae). This highly ornamental genus encompasses about 60 species. It is endemic in the southern and eastern parts of Africa and is represented in all nine provinces of South Africa, with the highest concentration of species occurring in the southern parts of Eastern Cape. The name Cyrtanthus refers to the curved perianth tube of many of the species and is derived from the Greek kyrtos meaning curved and anthos meaning flower. This genus is highly valued horticulturally. Species differ greatly in the color, size, shape and position of the flowers. [more]

Apodolirion

Apodolirion is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae). It consists of 6 species distributed in South Africa. The name Apodolirion cames from the Greek and means "stemless flower" and describes the fact that these species have almost sessile flowers. [more]

Argenope

[more]

Argolasia

[more]

Argyropsis

[more]

Arviela

[more]

Aschamia

[more]

Assaracus

[more]

Atamasco

[more]

Atamosco

[more]

Aulica

[more]

Aurelia

Aurelia (Latin,"golden") is a feminine given name. It was the name given to women of the gens Aurelia in ancient Rome. Aurelia may refer to: [more]

Aurota

[more]

Autogenes

[more]

Bathya

[more]

Belladonna

Belladonna, from the Italian expression "bella donna" meaning "beautiful lady", may refer to: [more]

Bokkeveldia

[more]

Bollaea

[more]

Bonapartea

[more]

Boophane

[more]

Boophone

[more]

Bravoa

Bravoa is an genus of Agavaceae family. [more]

Braxireon

[more]

Brunsdonna

[more]

Brunserine

[more]

Brunsvigia

Brunsvigia is a flowering plant genus in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. It contains about 20 species native to South Africa. [more]

Buphane

[more]

Calicharis

[more]

Caliphruria

[more]

Callicore

[more]

Callipsyche

[more]

Callithamna

[more]

Callithauma

[more]

Calostemma

[more]

Campylonema

[more]

Carpodetes

[more]

Carpolyza

[more]

Carregnoa

[more]

Castellanoa

[more]

Cearanthes

[more]

Cearia

[more]

Cepa

[more]

Chaetocapnia

[more]

Chapmanolirion

[more]

Chianthemum

[more]

Chlidanthus

[more]

Chloraster

[more]

Choananthus

[more]

Choeradodia

[more]

Chonais

[more]

Choretis

[more]

Chrysiphiala

[more]

Clinanthus

[more]

Clitanthes

[more]

Cliveucharis

[more]

Clivia

Clivia is a of monocot flowering plants native to southern Africa. They are from the family Amaryllidaceae. Common names include Kaffir lily and bush lily. [more]

Coburgia

[more]

Coetocapnia

[more]

Coleophyllum

[more]

Collania

[more]

Coobranthus

[more]

Cooperanthes

[more]

Cooperia

A genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]

Corbularia

[more]

Crimocharis

[more]

Crindonna

[more]

Crinodonna

[more]

Crinum

Crinum is a genus of about 180 species of perennial plants that have large showy flowers on leafless stems, and develop from bulbs. They are found along the sides of streams and lakes in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide, including South Africa. [more]

Crocopsis

[more]

Crossyne

[more]

Cryptostephanus

[more]

Cybistetes

[more]

Cydenis

[more]

Cyphonema

[more]

Cyrtanthus

A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]

Danbya

[more]

Demeusea

[more]

Dewinterella

[more]

Diacles

[more]

Diomedes

Diomedes or Diomed (: ; English translation: "God-like cunning" or "advised by Zeus") is a hero in Greek mythology, mostly known for his participation in the Trojan War. He was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos, succeeding his maternal grandfather, Adrastus. In Homer's Iliad Diomedes is regarded alongside Ajax as the second-best warriors of all the Achaeans. His paternal uncle Heracles and his close companion Odysseus are the favoured heroes of Athena. In Virgil's Aeneid he is one of the warriors who entered the Trojan Horse shortly before the sack of Troy. [more]

Diphalangium

[more]

Dodecasperma

[more]

Eithea

[more]

Elisena

[more]

Erigone

[more]

Erinosma

[more]

Eucharis

A genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]

Eucrosia

Eucrosia is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae) distributed from Ecuador to Peru. The name is derived from the Greek eu, beautiful, and krossos, a fringe, referring to the long stamens. The genus contains eight species. Phaedranassa and are the genera most closely related to Eucrosia. [more]

Eudolon

[more]

Eurycles

[more]

Eusarcops

[more]

Eusipho

[more]

Eustephia

[more]

Eustephiopsis

[more]

Fabricia

[more]

Famatina

A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]

Forbesia

[more]

Fourcroya

[more]

Franquevillea

[more]

Funium

[more]

Galanthus

Galanthus (Snowdrop; Greek g?la "milk", ?nthos "flower") is a small genus of about 20 species of bulbous herbaceous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. Most flower in winter, before the vernal equinox (20 or 21 March in the Northern Hemisphere), but certain species flower in early spring and late autumn. [more]

Galatea

[more]

Gasteronema

[more]

Gastronema

[more]

Gemmaria

A genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]

Gethyllis

[more]

Griffinia

[more]

Gyaxis

[more]

Gymnoterpe

[more]

Habranthus

Herbs, perennial, scapose, from bulbs. Bulbs black or brown, tunicate, ovoid or globose, sometimes with long neck. Leaves deciduous, sessile, erect or recumbent, bases overlapping, sheathing; blade linear, rarely exceeding 2 cm wide, smooth. Scape hollow. Inflorescences umbellate, 1[-4]-flowered, spathaceous; spathe proximally tubular; bracteoles sometimes present. Flowers declinate [to suberect], somewhat zygomorphic; perianth connate proximally, funnelform, shortly tubular basally, 2-8 cm; tepals subequal; filaments inserted on tepals distal to perianth tube, fasciculate [semifasciculate], declinate and recurving distally, filiform, in sets of 4 different lengths; anthers submedially dorsifixed, usually parallel with floral axis, linear-oblong; ovary inferior; style filiform; stigma 3-fid, lobes linear; pedicel rarely absent, hollow. Fruits capsular, 3-locular, thin-walled, subglobose or ± oblate. Seeds numerous, dark brown to black, flat, D-shaped, obliquely winged, lustrous. x = 6.[1] [more]

Haemanthus

Haemanthus is a Southern African genus of Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, with some 22 known species, endemic to South Africa, Namibia and the kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland. About 15 species occur in the winter rainfall region of Namaqualand and the Western Cape, the remainder being found in the summer rainfall region, with one species Haemanthus albiflos occurring in both regions. [more]

Hakonechloa

Hakonechloa is a genus of grasses of the Arundinoideae. [more]

Halmyra

[more]

Hannonia

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]

Haylockia

[more]

Helena

A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]

Hermione

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[2] [more]

Hieronymiella

[more]

Himantophyllum

[more]

Hippeastrum

Hippeastrum is a genus of about 90 species and 600+ hybrids and cultivars of bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas from Argentina north to Mexico and the Caribbean. Some species are grown for their large showy flowers. For many years there was confusion amongst botanists over the generic names Amaryllis and Hippeastrum, one result of which is that the common name "amaryllis" is mainly used for cultivars of this genus, which are widely used as indoor flowering bulbs. The generic name Amaryllis applies to bulbs from South Africa, usually grown outdoors. [more]

Hyline

[more]

Hymenetron

[more]

Hymenocallis

Herbs, perennial, scapose, from bulbs. Bulb 1, ovoid or globose, tunicate, often extending into neck of clasping, distichous leaf bases. Leaves 2-16, deciduous or evergreen, sessile, rarely petiolate; blade narrowly to widely liguliform or oblanceolate, rarely ovate to elliptic. Scape: bracts 2-3, triangular, ovate, or lanceolate. Inflorescences umbellate, bracteate; each flower with subtending, often narrowly lanceolate bract. Flowers 1-16, usually sessile, erect or slightly diverging, large and starlike, fragrant; perianth connate basally into short or long tube, surmounted by conspicuous staminal corona; tepals extending from base of corona, free portions reflexed or ascending, often distally recurved, linear; stamens adnate basally into showy funnelform or rotate corona, margins between free portions of filaments often dentate or lacerate, portions of filaments inserted on margin of corona, erect to incurved, filiform; anthers versatile, introrse, pollen yellow, often golden, or orange; ovary inferior, globose, ovoid, oblong, or pyriform, ovules 2-10 per locule; style exserted beyond stamens, deflexed laterally, filiform; stigma capitate. Fruits capsular, green, subglobose to elongate, 3-locular, large, leathery. Seeds large, green, fleshy. x = 20, 23.[3] [more]

Illus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[4] [more]

Imantophyllum

[more]

Imatophyllum

[more]

Imhofia

[more]

Indosasa

Indosasa is a genus of bamboo, comprising 12 species. They are found in Asia, especially in China and Vietnam. [more]

Ismene

A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]

Jaimehintonia

[more]

Janthe

[more]

Jonquilla

[more]

Kamiesbergia

[more]

Klingia

[more]

Kolpakowskia

[more]

Lais

A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]

Lapiedra

[more]

Laticoma

[more]

Leichtlinia

[more]

Leopoldia

[more]

Leperiza

[more]

Lepidopharynx

[more]

Leptochiton

[more]

Leucodesmis

[more]

Leucoium

Leucojum

Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum) and Summer Snowflake or Loddon Lily (Leucojum aestivum) are bulbous plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are the only species currently classified in the genus Leucojum. The spelling Leucoium may also be found. [more]

Leucothauma

Libonia

Justicia is a genus of flowering plants in the bear's breeches family, Acanthaceae. The roughly 420 species it contains are native to tropical to warm temperate regions of the Americas, with two species occurring north into cooler temperate regions. Common names include water-willow and shrimp plant, the latter from the inflorescences, which resemble a shrimp in some species. The generic name honours Scottish horticulturist James Justice (1698-1763). [more]

Lilavia

[more]

Liriamus

[more]

Liriopsis

[more]

Loxanthes

[more]

Lycoris

Lycoris is a Greek word meaning twilight. Other uses include: [more]

Mangave

Mathieua

[more]

Melicho

[more]

Mesochloa

[more]

Miltinea

[more]

Mizonia

[more]

Moldenkea

[more]

Monella

[more]

Moskerion

[more]

Myobranthus

Myostemma

[more]

Namaquanula

[more]

Narcibularia

[more]

Narcissus

Herbs perennial, scapose, from ovoid, tunicate bulbs. Leaves (1-) several; blade linear to ligulate, flat to semiterete, fleshy. Inflorescences umbellate in clusters of 2-20, or solitary, spathaceous; spathe 1-valved, enclosing buds, membranous or papery. Flowers pedicellate or sessile, erect or declinate, often fragrant; tepals 6, connate proximally, distinct and reflexed to ascending distally, yellow and/or white; perianth tube surmounted by a cupular to trumpetlike corona with margins often frilled; stamens 6, epitepalous, often of 2 lengths; filaments separate from corona; anthers basifixed; ovary inferior, 3-locular; style often exserted; stigma minutely 3-lobed. Fruits capsular, 3-locular, papery to leathery, dehiscence loculidical. Seeds numerous, subglobose, often with elaiosomes; testa black. x = 7, 11.[5] [more]

Neaera

Neaera, Neæra, or Neaira can refer to: [more]

Nemepiodon

[more]

Neostricklandia

[more]

Nerine

Nerine is a genus of plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family. Native to South Africa, there are about 30 different species in the genus. Nerine have been widely cultivated and much hybridized and are now spread world wide. [more]

Nivaria

Oileus

Omphalissa

Oporanthus

[more]

Pamianthe

Pamianthe is a genus of in family Amaryllidaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]

Pancratium

Pancratium may be: [more]

Papiria

Paramongaia

[more]

Patrocles

Pentlandia

[more]

Periphanes

[more]

Phaedranassa

Phaedranassa is a genus of in family Amaryllidaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]

Philogyne

Phycella

[more]

Placea

[more]

Plagiolirion

Plectronema

Pogonema

Polyanthemum

Proiphys

[more]

Prototulbaghia

[more]

Pseudostenomesson

Pucara

Pyrolirion

[more]

Queltia

Radia

[more]

Rauhia

[more]

Rhodolirium

Rhodophiala

[more]

Roezlia

Ruminia

Satyrium

[more]

Scadoxus

[more]

Sceptranthes

Scleropoa

[more]

Serena

Sphaerine

Sphaerotele

[more]

Sprekelia

Sprekelia is a of about 1-2 of bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, or Alliaceae. They are native to Central America. Like, Hippeastrum, these plants were known as Amaryllis. The Sprekelia is sometimes called the "Aztec lily", although it is not a true lily. Sprekelia formosissima is common in cultivation, planted in warm climates or raised in pots in colder climates, or planted and lifted, much as gladiolus. Even when well grown, bulbs often don't bloom every year. In a grouping of a dozen or so bulbs, only two or three may bloom in any given year. [more]

Stenbergia

Stenolirion

Stenomesson

[more]

Sternbergia

Sternbergia is a genus in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, of around 8 species that show a broad distribution throughout Mediterranean Europe and Asia. It was first described by Clusius in 1601 as Narcissus, before being redescribed by Carl Linnaeus as Amaryllis in 1753. The plant referred to by both these descriptions is now recognised as being Sternbergia lutea, which was described by Franz von Waldstein and P?l Kitaibel in 1803, although their first validation of the name Sternbergia was applied to S. colchiciflora. [more]

Strumaria

Strumaria is a genus of in family Amaryllidaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]

Tapeinanthus

[more]

Tedingea

Tityrus

Tocantinia

[more]

Traubia

[more]

Ungernia

[more]

Urceocharis

[more]

Urceolina

[more]

Vagaria

[more]

Vaginaria

[more]

Vallota

Vallota is a of the plant family Amaryllidaceae. It includes the Scarborough Lily (V. speciosa, sometimes listed as V. purpurea). [more]

Valota

[more]

Worsleya

[more]

X Amarcrinum

X Amarine

X Amarygia

X Hippeastrelia

Zephyranthes

Zephyranthes () is a genus of 71 species in the Amaryllis family (subfamily Amaryllidoideae). There are numerous hybrids and cultivars. Common names for species in this genus include fairy lily, rainflower, zephyr lily, magic lily, Atamasco lily, and rain lily. [more]

Zetocapnia

More info about the Genus Zetocapnia may be found here.

References

[ Back to top ]
  1. ^ Chase, M.W.; Reveal, J.L. & Fay, M.F. (2009), "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae", Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 161: 132?6 
  2. ^ Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Amaryllidaceae, http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/orders/asparagalesweb.htm#Amaryllidaceae 
  3. ^ Mary Jane McGary. 2001. Bulbs of North America. Timber Press, pp. 251. I SBN 0-88192-511-X

Bibliography

[ Back to top ]

Footnotes

[ Back to top ]
  1. Raymond O. Flagg, Gerald L. Smith & Walter S. Flory "Habranthus". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 55, 281. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
  2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Hermione&search=Search
  3. Gerald L. Smith & Walter S. Flory "Hymenocallis". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 54, 283, 284. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
  4. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Illus&search=Search
  5. Gerald B. Straley  & Frederick H. Utech "Narcissus". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 53, 54, 294. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Sources

[ Back to top ]
Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:23:26