''Hymenocallis coronaria'', commonly known as the Cahaba lily, shoal lily, or shoals spider-lily, is an aquatic,

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 ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of the genus ''

Hymenocallis ''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, th ...

''. It is endemic to the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

, being found only in

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 ...

, Georgia,

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 = ...

and parts of

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 ...

.Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution map
/ref> Within Alabama, it is known as the Cahaba lily; elsewhere it is known as the Shoal lily or Shoals spider-lily.

Description and habitat

''Hymenocallis coronaria'' requires a swift, shallow, water current and direct sunlight to flourish. The plant grows to about tall and develops from a bulb that lodges in cracks in rocky

shoal In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...

s. It blooms from early May to late June. Each fragrant flower blossom opens overnight and last for one day. They are visited and possibly pollinated by ''

Paratrea plebeja ''Paratrea'' is a monotypic moth genus in the family Sphingidae erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1903. Its single species, ''Paratrea plebeja'', the plebeian sphinx moth, was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1777. It is foun ...

'', commonly known as the plebeian sphinx moth, and ''

Battus philenor ''Battus philenor'', the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, Retrieved April 19, 2018. is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. This butterfly is black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found in many d ...

'', the pipevine swallowtail butterfly. The plant was first observed in 1783 by

William Bartram William Bartram (April 20, 1739 – July 22, 1823) was an American botanist, ornithologist, natural historian and explorer. Bartram was the author of an acclaimed book, now known by the shortened title ''Bartram's Travels'', which chronicled ...

and described as the "odoriferous ''Pancratium fluitans'' which almost alone possesses the little rocky islets". He saw it growing in the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the norther ...

near

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

Populations

''Hymenocallis coronaria'' is under consideration for protection under the

Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...

, due to entire populations being wiped out by

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

construction. There are only approximately 50 extant populations of ''Hymenocallis coronaria'' left, all in the states of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. The three largest remaining populations are located in the Cahaba River in Alabama, the Catawba River in South Carolina, and in the

Flint River The Flint River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. The river drains of western Georgia, flowing south from the u ...

in Georgia. The Cahaba River has four separate populations, with three within the

Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located in central Alabama, along the Cahaba River downstream from Birmingham, Alabama. The refuge was established on September 25, 2002. Additional purchases were approved ...

and one in Buck Creek); the Catawba has one within the Landsford Canal State Park; and the Flint has four, from Yellow Jacket Shoals to Hightower Shoals. Significant populations remain in the Savannah River basin, with three in the main channel and one each in the tributaries of Stevens Creek in South Carolina and the Broad River in Georgia. Efforts are currently underway to establish populations along the Chattahoochee River along the whitewater course in Columbus. The project involves collecting seeds from native stands along a section of Flat Shoals Creek, a tributary to the Chattahoochee. Seeds are collected and germinated, and then grown to establish hardy root systems. After a year they are planted along the river in areas where habitat is prime. CahabaRiverNWR1

References

External links

The Cahaba River Society

Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5956456 coronaria Plants described in 1836 Flora of the Southeastern United States Cahaba River Freshwater plants Flora without expected TNC conservation status