''Anthericum'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 65 species, rhizomatous

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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''. This family includes both ...

, 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 agaves ...

. It was formerly placed in its own family, Anthericaceae. 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 hori ...

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reproduc ...

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

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s. The members of this

occur mainly in the tropics and

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...

and

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

, but are also represented in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

.Altervista Flora Italiana, genere ''Anthericum''
/ref> The generic name ''Anthericum'' is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: 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 of all kno ...

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), sometimes colloquially referred to as the spider plants, is a genus of almost 200 species of evergreen Perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the Agavoideae, century plan ...

'', the Spider Plant, a familiar and popular

house plant A houseplant, also known as a pot plant, potted plant, or indoor plant, is an ornamental plant cultivated indoors. for aesthetic or practical purposes. These plants are commonly found in homes, offices, and various indoor spaces, where they contr ...

. 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''. Spec ...

''.

Selected species

*''

Anthericum acuminatum ''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, Anthericaceae. The species have Rhizome, rhizomatous or tube ...

'' Rendle *''

Anthericum baeticum ''Anthericum'' is a genus of about 65 species, rhizomatous perennial plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It was formerly placed in its own family, Anthericaceae. The species have rhizomatous or tuberous roots, long narrow lea ...

'' *'' Anthericum falcatum'' L.f. *''

Anthericum japonicum ''Anthericum'' is a genus of about 65 species, rhizomatous perennial plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It was formerly placed in its own family, Anthericaceae. The species have rhizomatous or tuberous roots, long narrow lea ...

'' 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 e ...

'' 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 ''Arthropodium cirratum'' commonly known as rengarenga, renga lily, New Zealand rock lily, rengarenga, or maikaika, is a species of herbaceous perennial plant, endemic to New Zealand, where it may once have been farmed. It is used for medicine a ...

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

Bulbine frutescens ''Bulbine frutescens'', the wild kopieva or stalked bulbine, 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 ...

'' (L.) Willd. (as ''A. frutescens'' L.) *''

Bulbine longiscapa ''Bulbine'' is a genus of plants in the family Asphodelaceae and subfamily Asphodeloideae, named for the bulb-shaped tuber of many species. It was formerly placed in the Liliaceae. It is found chiefly in Southern Africa, with a few species extend ...

'' (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, and Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth ...

'' (Karrer) Backer (as ''A. bichetii'' hort. ex Backer, nom. inval.) *''

Chlorophytum capense ''Chlorophytum'' (,''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607), sometimes colloquially referred to as the spider plants, is a genus of almost 200 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the century plant subfamily within the aspar ...

'' (L.) Voss (as ''A. elatum'' Aiton) *''

Chlorophytum macrophyllum ''Chlorophytum'' (,''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607), sometimes colloquially referred to as the spider plants, is a genus of almost 200 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the century plant subfamily within the aspar ...

'' (A.Rich.) Asch. (as ''A. macrophyllum'' A.Rich.) *''

Eccremis coarctata ''Excremis'' is a genus of herbs in the family Asphodelaceae Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its cu ...

'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Baker (as ''A. coarctatum'' Ruiz & Pav.) *'' Echeandia flavescens'' (Schult. & Schult.f.) Cruden (as ''A. flavescens'' Schult. & Schult.f. and ''A. torreyi'' Baker) *''

Drimia fragrans ''Drimia'' is a genus of African, south European and south Asian flowering plants. In the APG IV classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (formerly the family Hyacinthaceae). When broadly circumscribe ...

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

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