''Lycoris squamigera'', the resurrection lily or surprise lily, is a
plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...
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 native to SE
China and
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 (Republic o ...
Description
''Lycoris squamigera'' is an
herbaceous plant
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent wood, woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennial plant, perennials, and nearly all Annual plant, annuals and Biennial plant, biennials.
Definition ...
with basal, simple
leaves, which are not present when the flowers emerge from the crown. The leaves sprout and grow in the spring, then die back during June; flowers appear in late July or early August. The flowers are white or pink and fragrant. The flowers spring dramatically from the ground in mid to late summer; it usually takes only four to five days from first emergence to full bloom.
Maximowicz, Carl Johann. 1885. Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 6: 79–80
/ref> This suddenness is reflected in its common names: surprise lily, magic lily, and resurrection lily.
See also
* List of plants known as lily Lily usually refers to herbaceous plants of the genus ''Lilium'', with large showy trumpet-shaped flowers. Many species are cultivated as ornamentals.
Many other plants not closely related to lilies are called lilies, usually because their flowers ...
References
Amaryllidoideae
Flora of China
Flora of Japan
Flora of Korea
Flora of Jiangsu
Flora of Shandong
Flora of Zhejiang
Garden plants
Plants described in 1885
{{Amaryllidaceae-stub