''Lycoris'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of 13–20 species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

s in the family

Amaryllidaceae The Amaryllidaceae are a family of herbaceous, mainly perennial and bulbous (rarely rhizomatous) flowering plants in the monocot order Asparagales. The family takes its name from the genus '' Amaryllis'' and is commonly known as the amaryl ...

, subfamily

Amaryllidoideae Amaryllidoideae (Amaryllidaceae ''s.s.'', amaryllids) is a subfamily of monocot flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, order Asparagales. The most recent APG classification, APG III, takes a broad view of the Amaryllidaceae, which then ...

. They are native to eastern and southern

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

in China, Japan, southern

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

, northern

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

, northern Laos, northern

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, northern

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...

, northern

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...

, and eastern

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...

. They were imported into

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 a ...

and now grow wild. In English they are also called hurricane lilies or cluster amaryllis. The genus shares the English name spider lily with two other related genera.What is the Genus ''Lycoris''?
Taxonomy
Flora of China
''Lycoris''
石蒜属 shi suan shuGermplasm Resources Information Network
''Lycoris''
They are

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 du ...

-producing

perennial plant 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. The leaves are long and slender, 30–60 cm long and only 0.5–2 cm broad. The scape is erect, 30–70 cm tall, bearing a terminal

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' " ...

of four to eight

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s, which can be white, yellow, orange, or red. The flowers divide into two types, those with very long, filamentous

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

s two or three times as long as the

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s (subgenus ''Lycoris''; e.g. ''Lycoris radiata''), and those with shorter stamens not much longer than the tepals (subgenus ''Symmanthus'' Traub & Moldenke; e.g. ''Lycoris sanguinea''). The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

is a three-valved capsule containing several black

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...

s. Many of the species are sterile, reproducing only vegetatively, and are probably of

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 diff ...

origin; several additional known hybrids occur.What is the Genus ''Lycoris''?
Species Evolution by Hybridization in the genus Lycoris

Selected species

, the ''World Checklist of Selected Plant Families'' recognizes 22 species and one hybrid:Search for "Lycoris", # '' Lycoris albiflora'' Koidz. (treated as the hybrid ''L.'' × ''albiflora'' by some sources) – white spider lily -

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its c ...

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

# ''

Lycoris anhuiensis ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means "twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Y.Xu & G.J.Fan -

Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...

# ''

Lycoris argentea ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise * Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva i ...

'' Worsley -

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

# ''

Lycoris aurea ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means "twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' (L'Hér.) Herb. (

syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

''Nerine aurea'') – golden spider lily - China, Japan incl Ryukyu Is,

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...

# ''

Lycoris caldwellii ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Traub – magic lily -

Jiangxi Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north into h ...

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by ...

# '' Lycoris chinensis'' Traub – yellow surprise lily -

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), Ning ...

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of th ...

# '' Lycoris flavescens'' M.Kim & S.Lee -

# ''

Lycoris guangxiensis ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means "twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise * Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Y.Xu & G.J.Fan - Guangxi # ''

Lycoris haywardii ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means "twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Traub - Japan # ''

Lycoris houdyshelii ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means "twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Traub -

Matsu Islands The Matsu Islands ( or , ; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤), officially Lienchiang County (, ; Foochow Romanized: Lièng-gŏng-gâing), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of Chi ...

, Japan # ''

Lycoris incarnata ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Comes ex Sprenger – peppermint surprise lily -

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The pr ...

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...

# ''

Lycoris josephinae ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Traub -

# ''

Lycoris koreana ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Nakai -

, †Japan # ''

Lycoris longituba ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Y.C.Hsu & G.J.Fan – long tube surprise lily -

# '' Lycoris radiata'' (L'Hér.) Herb. – spider lily, red spider lily - China,

, Japan,

; naturalized in

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...

and in scattered places in United States # ''

Lycoris rosea ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' Traub & Moldenke -

# '' Lycoris sanguinea'' Maxim. – orange spider lily - Japan # ''

Lycoris shaanxiensis ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise * Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva i ...

'' Y.Xu & Z.B.Hu -

# ''

Lycoris sprengeri ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise * Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva i ...

'' Comes ex Baker – tie dye surprise lily -

# ''

Lycoris squamigera ''Lycoris squamigera'', the resurrection lily or surprise lily, is a plant in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. It is also sometimes referred to as naked ladies (a name used for several other plants). It is nativ ...

'' Maxim. – naked lady, surprise lily, magic lily, resurrection lily -

, Shandong,

, Japan,

; naturalized in

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

# ''

Lycoris straminea ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means "twilight". Other uses include: *Lycoris (plant), ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired ...

'' Lindl. -

# ''

Lycoris uydoensis ''Lycoris'' is a Greek word and it means " twilight". Other uses include: * ''Lycoris'' (plant), a genus of family Amaryllidaceae *Lycoris, a character of .hack the multimedia franchise *Lycoris (company), a software company, acquired by Mandriva in ...

'' M.Kim -

;formerly included A few names have been coined using the name ''Lycoris'' but referring to species now considered better suited to other genera (''

Griffinia ''Griffinia'' is a genus of Brazilian plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. It includes 21 known species which are endemic to Brazil in South America. The most closely related genus to it is the monotypic '' Worsleya''. The m ...

'' and ''

Ungernia ''Ungernia'' is a genus of bulb-forming plants in the Amaryllis family, native to central and south-central Asia Asia ( Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan). ;Species *''Ungernia badghysi'' ...

''). Here are links to help you find appropriate information. * ''Lycoris hyacinthina -

Griffinia hyacinthina ''Griffinia hyacinthina'' is a bulbous species of flowering plant which is endemic to Brazil. The plant has blue flowers (as suggested by the specific epithet "''hyacinthina''"), collected into an umbel. The leaves are green, elliptical and p ...

'' * ''Lycoris radiata -

Ungernia trisphaera ''Ungernia'' is a genus of bulb-forming plants in the Amaryllis family, native to central and south-central Asia Asia (Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan). ;Species *'' Ungernia badghysi'' Botsc ...

'' * ''Lycoris severzowii - Ungernia severzowii'' ;Hybrids * ''Lycoris'' × ''chejuensis'' chejuensis K.H.Tae & S.C.Ko - Korea

Cultivation and uses

''Lycoris'' are extensively cultivated as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

s in China and Japan, and also in other warm temperate regions of the world. In Japan, they are widely used at the edges of

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...

paddy field A paddy field is a flooded field of arable land used for growing semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in southern China, associated with pre ...

s to provide a strip of bright flowers in the summer, and over 230

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s have been selected for garden use. They are locally

naturalised Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

in the southeastern United States, where they are often called hurricane flowers, due to their blooming period coinciding with the peak of hurricane season. In China, people often use them as decorations in festivals or celebrations.

Legends

Since these scarlet flowers usually bloom near cemeteries around the

autumnal equinox Autumnal equinox or variations, may refer to: * September equinox, the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere * March equinox, the autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere Other uses * Autumnal Equinox Day (Japanese: 秋分の日, ''Sh� ...

, they are described in Chinese and Japanese translations of the

Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' ( zh, 妙法蓮華經; sa, सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम्, translit=Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit=Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, italic=) is one of the most influ ...

as ominous flowers that grow in

Diyu Diyu () is the realm of the dead or " hell" in Chinese mythology. It is loosely based on a combination of the Buddhist concept of Naraka, traditional Chinese beliefs about the afterlife, and a variety of popular expansions and reinterpretation ...

(also known as Hell), or Huángquán (

Simplified Chinese Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to: Mathematics Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example * Simplification of algebraic expressions ...

: 黄泉;

Traditional Chinese A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays ...

: 黃泉), and guide the dead into the next reincarnation. When the flowers of ''lycoris'' bloom, their leaves would have fallen; when their leaves grow, the flowers would have wilted. This habit gave rise to various legends. A famous one is the legend of two

elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "lig ...

: Mañju (

: 曼珠;

: 曼珠), who guarded the flower, and Saka (

: 沙华;

: 沙華), who guarded the leaves. Out of curiosity, they defied their

fate Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although ofte ...

of guarding the herb alone, and managed to meet each other. At first sight, they fell in love with each other.

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

, exasperated by their waywardness, separated the miserable couple, and laid a curse on them as a punishment: the flowers of Mañju shall never meet the leaves of Saka again. It was said that when the couple met after death in

, they vowed to meet each other after

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is ...

. However, neither of them could keep their word. In commemoration of the couple, some call the herbs "Mañjusaka" (

: 曼珠沙华;

: 曼珠沙華), a mixture of "Mañju" and "Saka", instead of their scientific name. The same name is used in Japanese, in which it is pronounced ''manju-syage''. Some other legends have it that when a person sees someone that they may never meet again, these flowers, also called red spider lilies, would bloom along the path. Perhaps because of these sorrowful legends,

Japanese people The are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Japanese archipelago."人類学上は，旧石器時代あるいは縄文時代以来，現在の北海道〜沖縄諸島（南西諸島）に住んだ集団を祖先にもつ人々。" () Ja ...

often used these flowers in funerals. Popular name of Japanese for lycoris is literally

higan is a Buddhist holiday exclusively celebrated by Japanese sects for seven days; three days before and after both the Spring equinox ( shunbun) and Autumnal equinox ( shūbun). It is observed by nearly every Buddhist school in Japan. The tradi ...

(the other or that shore of sanzu river) flower means, decorate and enjoyable, flower of afterlife in .

Gallery

Image:Lycoris aurea.jpg, ''Lycoris aurea'', a species with long stamens File:Lycoris aurea-jp.jpg, ''Lycoris aurea'' (yellow) and ''Lycoris radiata'' (red) in Chiba Japan Image:Lycoris radiata Ans1.jpg, ''Lycoris radiata'' is an important cultural icon in Japan Image:Lycoris squamigera2.jpg, ''Lycoris squamigera'', a species with short stamens Image:Red spider lily October 2007 Osaka Japan.jpg, ''Lycoris radiata'', Red spider lily

References

External links

Images of ''Lycoris''
Flavon's art gallery - Amaryllidaceae
Photo Gallery of ''Lycoris''
Juniper Level Botanic Gardens Lycoris Collection {{DEFAULTSORT:Lycoris (Plant) Amaryllidaceae genera Amaryllidoideae

Selected species

Cultivation and uses

Legends

Gallery

See also

References

External links