''Anthericum'' 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 about 65 species, rhizomatous

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 in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Asparagaceae Asparagaceae, known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, '' Asparagus officinalis''. Those who live in the temperate ...

, subfamily

Agavoideae Agavoideae is a subfamily of monocot flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, order Asparagales. It has previously been treated as a separate family, Agavaceae. The group includes many well-known desert and dry-zone types, such as the agave ...

. It was formerly placed in its own family, Anthericeae. The species have

rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow h ...

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growin ...

ous roots, long narrow leaves and branched stems carrying starry white

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. The members of this

occur mainly in the tropics and

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number ...

and

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

, but are also represented in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

.Altervista Flora Italiana, genere ''Anthericum''
/ref> The generic name ''Anthericum'' 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 ...

word ανθερικος (''antherikos''), meaning "straw", referring to the narrow leaves. Only two species are in general cultivation. A number of species are now included in the genus ''

Chlorophytum ''Chlorophytum'' (,''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607 common name spider plant), is a genus of almost 200 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the century plant subfamily within the asparagus family. The plants are na ...

'', the Spider Plant, a familiar and popular

house plant A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...

. Others, including the St. Bruno's Lily, are now classed in the genus ''

Paradisea ''Paradisea'' (paradise lily) is a European genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae. It was formerly classified in the family Anthericaceae or earlier in the Liliaceae. ''Paradisea'' is sometimes confused with ''Anthericum''. Speci ...

''.

Selected species

*'' Anthericum acuminatum'' Rendle *'' Anthericum baeticum'' *''

Anthericum falcatum ''Anthericum'' is a genus of about 65 species, rhizomatous perennial plants in the family (biology), family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It was formerly placed in its own family, Anthericeae. The species have Rhizome, rhizomatous or tubero ...

'' L.f. *'' Anthericum japonicum'' Thunb. *''

Anthericum liliago ''Anthericum liliago'', the St Bernard's lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. It is native to mainland Europe (not the British Isles) and Turkey, growing in dry pastures, stony places and open woods and flowering in ...

'' L. – St. Bernard's lily *''

Anthericum ramosum ''Anthericum ramosum'', known as branched St Bernard's-lily, is a herbaceous perennial plant with a rhizome. The genus ''Anthericum'' is currently placed in the family (biology), family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It was formerly placed i ...

'' L.

Formerly placed here

*'' Arthropodium cirrhatum'' (G.Forst.) R.Br. (as ''A. cirrhatum'' G.Forst.) *''

Bulbine frutescens ''Bulbine frutescens'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Bulbine'', native to southern Africa ( South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini). Description This variable species grows as a small shrub, with short, low stems that produce roots ...

'' (L.) Willd. (as ''A. frutescens'' L.) *'' Bulbine longiscapa'' (Jacq.) Willd. (as ''A. longiscapum'' Jacq.) *''

Bulbinella hookeri ''Bulbinella'' is a genus of plants in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)"Asphodeloideae" ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website''. Retrieved 2016-06-10. first described as a genus in 1843. Many species are en ...

'' (Colenso ex Hook.) Cheeseman (as ''A. hookeri'' (Colenso ex Hook.) Hook.f.) * ''Bulbinella nutans'' subsp. ''nutans'' (as ''A. nutans'' Thunb.) *''

Chlorophytum bichetii ''Chlorophytum laxum'' (Bichetii grass, Siam lily, false lily turf, wheat plant) is a flowering plant species in the genus '' Chlorophytum'', widespread through tropical Africa, Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographi ...

'' (Karrer) Backer (as ''A. bichetii'' hort. ex Backer, nom. inval.) *'' Chlorophytum capense'' (L.) Voss (as ''A. elatum'' Aiton) *'' Chlorophytum macrophyllum'' (A.Rich.) Asch. (as ''A. macrophyllum'' A.Rich.) *''

Eccremis coarctata ''Excremis'' is a genus of herbs in the family Asphodelaceae, first described as a genus in 1829. There are only one known species, ''Excremis coarctata'', native to South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and northwestern Br ...

'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Baker (as ''A. coarctatum'' Ruiz & Pav.) *''

Echeandia flavescens ''Echeandia'' (common name craglily) is a genus of New World plants in the century plant subfamily within the asparagus family. Etymology It is named for Spanish botanist Pedro Gregorio Echeandía (1746–1817). Species in the genus are dis ...

'' (Schult. & Schult.f.) Cruden (as ''A. flavescens'' Schult. & Schult.f. and ''A. torreyi'' Baker) *''

Drimia fragrans ''Drimia'' is a genus of flowering plants. In the APG IV classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (formerly the family Hyacinthaceae). When broadly circumscribed, the genus includes a number of other ...

'' (Jacq.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt (as ''A. fragrans'' Jacq.) *''

Drimia physodes ''Drimia'' is a genus of flowering plants. In the APG IV classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (formerly the family Hyacinthaceae). When broadly circumscribed, the genus includes a number of oth ...

'' (Jacq.) Jessop (as ''A. physodes'' Jacq.) *''

Narthecium ossifragum ''Narthecium ossifragum'', commonly known as bog asphodel, Lancashire asphodel or bastard asphodel, is a species of flowering plant in the family Nartheciaceae. It is native to Western Europe, found on wet, boggy moorlands up to about in ele ...

'' (L.) Huds. (as ''A. ossifragum'' L.) *''

Pasithea caerulea ''Pasithea '' is a genus of herbs in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)"Hemerocallidoideae" ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website''. Retrieved 2016-06-10. first described as a genus in 1832. It contains ...

'' (Ruiz & Pav.) D.Don (as ''A. caeruleum'' Ruiz & Pav.) *''

Simethis planifolia ''Simethis'' is a genus of plants in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae. It contains only one known species, ''Simethis mattiazzii'', commonly called the Kerry lily.

References

Asparagaceae genera Agavoideae {{Asparagaceae-stub