''Hesperocallis'' is a genus of flowering plants that includes a single species, ''Hesperocallis undulata'', known as the desert lily or ajo lily. It is found in the desert areas of southwestern North America, in Northwestern Mexico, California, and Arizona. The plant grows in Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert habitats.

Taxonomy

In the

APG III system The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a fur ...

, adopted here, ''Hesperocallis'' is placed in the family

Asparagaceae Asparagaceae, known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, ''Asparagus officinalis''. Those who live in the temperate c ...

, subfamily Agavoideae, since recent molecular systematic studies (Pires et al. 2004) have confirmed a close relationship with '' Agave''. Other classifications have included the species in its own family, Hemerocallidaceae, or placed it in the Hostaceae (Funkiaceae); both families are submerged into the Agavoideae in the APG III system. As with many of the ' lilioid monocots', prior to the use of molecular evidence in classification, it was placed in the Liliaceae.

Uses

The bulbs of the desert lily are eaten by native peoples.

References

*Pires, J. C., I. J. Maureira, J. P. Rebman, G. A. Salazar, L. I. Cabrera, M. F. Fay, and M. W. Chase. 2004. Molecular data confirm the phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic ''Hesperocallis'' (Hesperocallidaceae) with ''Agave''. ''Madroño'' 51: 307–311.
NCBI Taxonomy Browser

External links

genus
an
USDA Plants Profile of ''Hesperocallis undulata''

''Hesperocallis''
in th
''Flora of North America''
(treated as a member of the family Liliaceae)
Distribution Map

''Hesperocallis undulata'' picturesBLM Desert Lily Preserve photo album

links at CSDL, Texas
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q1202086, from2=Q3134708 Agavoideae Monotypic Asparagaceae genera North American desert flora Flora of the California desert regions Flora of Arizona Flora of Northwestern Mexico Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Natural history of the Mojave Desert Plants used in Native American cuisine Asparagaceae genera Flora without expected TNC conservation status