''Sprekelia'' was 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 ...

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

n plants in the Amaryllis family, 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 ...

. ''Sprekelia'' plants are sometimes called Aztec lilies or Jacobean lilies although they are not true

lilies ''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...

. This genus is now submerged in ''

Zephyranthes ''Zephyranthes'' is a genus of temperate and tropical plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, native to the Western Hemisphere and widely cultivated as ornamentals. Following the expansion of the genus in 2019, which n ...

''.

Taxonomy

This genus is named after Johann Heinrich von Spreckelsen (1691–1764), who supplied the plants to

Lorenz Heister Lorenz Heister (Latin: ''Laurentius Heister'') (19 September 1683 – 18 April 1758) was a German anatomist, surgeon and botanist born in Frankfurt am Main. Biography From 1702 to 1706 Heister studied at the Universities of Giessen and Wetzl ...

. ''Sprekelia'' is located in tribe

Hippeastreae Hippeastreae is a tribe of plants belonging to the subfamily Amaryllidoideae of the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae). Species in this tribe are distributed in South America. Flowers are large and showy, zygomorphic, with the stamens in varying ...

, subtribe

Hippeastrinae Hippeastrinae is a subtribe of plants classified under the tribe Hippeastreae. It belongs to the subfamily Amaryllidoideae of the Amaryllis family ( Amaryllidaceae). Description Terrestrial bulbous perennial herbaceous plants, although th ...

Species

;Accepted speciesKew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> * ''

Sprekelia formosissima ''Sprekelia'' was a genus of Mesoamerican plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. ''Sprekelia'' plants are sometimes called Aztec lilies or Jacobean lilies although they are not true lilies. This genus is now submerged in ''Z ...

'' ( L.) Herb. -

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 ...

from

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 ...

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, ...

;

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 ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

; naturalized in

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

* ''

Sprekelia howardii ''Sprekelia'' was a genus of Mesoamerican plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. ''Sprekelia'' plants are sometimes called Aztec lilies or Jacobean lilies although they are not true lilies. This genus is now submerged in ''Z ...

'' Lehmiller -

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 ...

;formerly included The following two names were coined using the name ''Sprekelia,'' but they refer to species are now generally regarded as better suited to ''

Hippeastrum ''Hippeastrum'' () is a genus of about 90 species and over 600 hybrids and cultivars of perennial herbaceous bulbous plants. They generally have large fleshy bulbs and tall broad leaves, generally evergreen, and large red or purple flowers. ...

.'' * ''Sprekelia cybister -

Hippeastrum cybister ''Hippeastrum cybister'' is a flowering perennial herbaceous bulbous plant, in the family Amaryllidaceae, native from Bolivia to Argentina. Description The stem is nineteen inches tall. Ecology The flowering season is Spring to Summer, w ...

'' * ''Sprekelia spectabilis -

Hippeastrum angustifolium ''Hippeastrum angustifolium'' is a bulbous perennial in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to an area from SE Brazil to Paraguay and NE Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a ...

Growth

''Sprekelia formosissima'' is common in cultivation, planted in warm climates or raised in pots in colder climates, or planted and lifted, much as the

gladiolus ''Gladiolus'' (from Latin, the diminutive of ''gladius'', a sword) is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae). It is sometimes called the 'sword lily', but is usually called by its generic name (plural ''g ...

. Even when well grown, bulbs often do not bloom every year.Shields Gardens The Amaryllis Family: ''Sprekelia''
/ref>

Gallery of ''Sprekelia formosissima''

Image:Sprekelia.formosissima.1.jpg File:Sprekelia.formosissima.3.jpg Image:Sprekelia.formosissima.4.jpg Image:Sprekelia.formosissima.5.jpg

References

Bibliography

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q159042 Amaryllidoideae Amaryllidaceae genera Flora of Mexico Flora of Central America