''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of American plants in the amaryllis family. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

ous

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s native to the southeastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

, and northern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. Some species are cultivated as ornamentals in warm nations around the globe, and a few have become naturalized in parts of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and on various tropical islands. 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. 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 Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

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 In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

"spider lily".

Taxonomy

The genus ''Hymenocallis'' was created by

Richard Anthony Salisbury Richard Anthony Salisbury, FRS (born Richard Anthony Markham; 2 May 1761 – 23 March 1829) was a British botanist. While he carried out valuable work in horticultural and botanical sciences, several bitter disputes caused him to be ostracised ...

in 1812, when he separated out a number of species formerly placed in '' Pancratium'', starting with ''

Hymenocallis littoralis ''Hymenocallis littoralis'' or the beach spider lily is a plant species of the genus ''Hymenocallis'', native to warmer coastal regions of Latin America and widely cultivated and naturalized in many tropical countries. Description ''Hymenocalli ...

''. The main reason for the separation was that the fruits have only two seeds in each

locule A locule (plural locules) or loculus (plural loculi) (meaning "little place" in Latin) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usu ...

. Salisbury explained the name as referring to the "beautiful membrane which connects the filaments."; se
page 338
in the third edition published in 1820.

Species

Texas Spiderlily -- Hymenocallis acutifolia

, the ''World Checklist of Selected Plant Families'' accepts 65 species:, search for "Hymenocallis" # ''

Hymenocallis acutifolia ''Hymenocallis acutifolia'' is a plant species first described in 1826 with the name ''Hymenocallis littoralis'' var. ''acutifolia''. It is endemic to Mexico, known from the States of Oaxaca, Michoacán, Jalisco, Veracruz, Puebla, and Nayari ...

'' (Herb. ex Sims) Sweet - Mexico # ''

Hymenocallis araniflora ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of American plants in the amaryllis family. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, ...

'' T.M.Howard -

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...

Nayarit Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...

# ''

Hymenocallis arenicola ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of American plants in the amaryllis family. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, ...

'' Northr. -

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

Greater Antilles The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and ...

# ''

Hymenocallis astrostephana ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of American plants in the amaryllis family. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, ...

'' T.M.Howard -

Guerrero Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...

# ''

Hymenocallis azteciana ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of American plants in the amaryllis family. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, ...

'' Traub -

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...

Zacatecas , image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg , map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type ...

# '' Hymenocallis baumlii'' Ravenna -

Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...

# '' Hymenocallis bolivariana'' Traub -

Monagas ) , anthem = '' Himno del Estado Monagas'' , image_map = Monagas in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_m ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

# ''

Hymenocallis caribaea ''Hymenocallis caribaea'' is a plant in the Amaryllidaceae with the common names "Caribbean spider-lily" or "variegated spider-lily." It is native to the islands of the Caribbean and to northern South America. It is regarded as native to Puerto ...

'' (L.) Herb. – Caribbean spiderlily -

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

# '' Hymenocallis choctawensis'' Traub – Choctaw spiderlily -

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

Florida Panhandle The Florida Panhandle (also West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida; it is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long and wide, lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia (U. ...

# '' Hymenocallis choretis'' Hemsl. - southern

# '' Hymenocallis cleo'' Ravenna -

# '' Hymenocallis clivorum'' Laferr. -

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

# '' Hymenocallis concinna'' Baker -

# '' Hymenocallis cordifolia'' Micheli -

# ''

Hymenocallis coronaria ''Hymenocallis coronaria'', commonly known as the Cahaba lily, shoal lily, or shoals spider-lily, is an aquatic, perennial flowering plant species of the genus ''Hymenocallis''. It is endemic to the Southeastern United States, being found only ...

'' (Leconte) Kunth – Cahaba lily -

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

# '' Hymenocallis crassifolia'' Herb. -

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

# '' Hymenocallis durangoensis'' T.M.Howard -

Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...

# '' Hymenocallis duvalensis'' Traub ex Laferr. – Dixie spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis eucharidifolia'' Baker -

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

# '' Hymenocallis fragrans'' (Salisb.) Salisb. -

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

# '' Hymenocallis franklinensis'' Ger.L.Sm. – Franklin spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis gholsonii'' G.Lom.Sm. & Garland -

# '' Hymenocallis glauca'' (Zucc.) M.Roem. - central + southern

# '' Hymenocallis godfreyi'' G.L.Sm. & Darst – Godfrey's spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis graminifolia'' Greenm. -

Morelos Morelos (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 36 municipalities and its capital city is Cuer ...

# '' Hymenocallis guatemalensis'' Traub -

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

# '' Hymenocallis guerreroensis'' T.M.Howard -

# '' Hymenocallis harrisiana'' Herb. - central + southern Mexico # '' Hymenocallis henryae'' Traub – Henry's spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis howardii'' Bauml - western

# '' Hymenocallis imperialis'' T.M.Howard -

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

# '' Hymenocallis incaica'' Ravenna -

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

# '' Hymenocallis jaliscensis'' M.E.Jones -

# '' Hymenocallis latifolia'' (Mill.) M.Roem. – perfumed spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis leavenworthii'' (Standl. & Steyerm.) Bauml -

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

# '' Hymenocallis lehmilleri'' T.M.Howard -

# '' Hymenocallis limaensis'' Traub -

Lima Province Lima Province is located in the central coast of Peru and is the only province in the country not belonging to any of the twenty-five regions. Its capital is Lima, which is also the nation's capital. Despite its small area, this province is the ...

# '' Hymenocallis liriosme'' (Raf.) Shinners – Texan spiderlily (yellow center) - south-central United States # ''

'' (Jacq.) Salisb. - Mexico, Central America, northern South America # '' Hymenocallis lobata'' Klotzsch -

# '' Hymenocallis longibracteata'' Hochr. -

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

# '' Hymenocallis maximilianii'' T.M.Howard -

# '' Hymenocallis multiflora'' Vargas -

# '' Hymenocallis occidentalis'' (Leconte) Kunth - southeastern + south-central United States # '' Hymenocallis ornata'' (C.D.Bouché) M.Roem. -

# '' Hymenocallis ovata'' (Mill.) M.Roem. -

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

# '' Hymenocallis palmeri'' S.Watson – alligator lily (yellow center) -

# '' Hymenocallis partita'' Ravenna -

# '' Hymenocallis phalangidis'' Bauml -

# ''

Hymenocallis pimana ''Hymenocallis pimana'' is a member of the genus ''Hymenocallis'', in the family Amaryllidaceae. Common name in English is Pima spider-lily; in Spanish it is cebollín. It is endemic to a small mountainous region in the Sierra Madre Occidental, s ...

'' Laferr. -

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

# '' Hymenocallis portamonetensis'' Ravenna -

# '' Hymenocallis praticola'' Britton & P.Wilson -

# '' Hymenocallis proterantha'' Bauml - southern

# '' Hymenocallis pumila'' Bauml -

Colima Colima (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Colima), is one of the 31 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and ...

# '' Hymenocallis puntagordensis'' Traub – Punta Gordo spiderlily - southern

# '' Hymenocallis pygmaea'' Traub -

# '' Hymenocallis rotata'' (Ker Gawl.) Herb. – streambank spiderlily - northern

# †'' Hymenocallis schizostephana'' Worsley -

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

but extinct # '' Hymenocallis sonorensis'' Standl. -

# '' Hymenocallis speciosa'' (L.f. ex Salisb.) Salisb. – green-tinge spiderlily -

Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth ...

# '' Hymenocallis tridentata'' Small -

# '' Hymenocallis tubiflora'' Salisb. -

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

Guianas The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

, northwestern

# '' Hymenocallis vasconcelosii'' García-Mend. -

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

# '' Hymenocallis venezuelensis'' Traub -

# '' Hymenocallis woelfleana'' T.M.Howard -

;formerly included Numerous names have been coined for species once considered members of ''Hymenocallis'' but now regarded as better suited to other genera. Most of the species are native to

. Such genera include '' Clinanthus'', '' Eucharis'', ''

Ismene In Greek mythology, Ismene (; grc, Ἰσμήνη, ''Ismēnē'') is the daughter and half-sister of Oedipus, daughter and granddaughter of Jocasta, and sister of Antigone, Eteocles, and Polynices. She appears in several plays of Sophocles: at the ...

'', '' Leptochiton'' and '' Pancratium''. We provide the following links to help you find appropriate information.

Cultivation

Most ''Hymenocallis'' must be grown in a warm greenhouse or in a sheltered sunny spot where the ground does not freeze. The North American species ''H. occidentalis'' is found as far north as southwestern Indiana where winters can reach . They like good drainage and grow well in a soil rich with organic matter. The following species and

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

s are found in cultivation:-

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1368946 Amaryllidaceae genera Taxa named by Richard Anthony Salisbury

Taxonomy

Species

Cultivation

See also

References