''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) 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 flowering plants in the

amaryllis family The Amaryllidaceae are a family of herbaceous, mainly perennial and bulbous (rarely rhizomatous) flowering plants in the monocot order Asparagales. The family takes its name from the genus ''Amaryllis'' and is commonly known as the amaryllis fam ...

native to the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

bulb In botany, a bulb is a short underground stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

ous

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

s native to the southeastern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

, the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

, and northern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. Some species are cultivated as ornamentals in warm nations around the globe, and a few have become naturalized in parts of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and on various tropical islands. Many of the species from the Caribbean and from the southeastern United States inhabit wet areas such as marshes, streambanks, and seashores. Some species even have floating seeds. Some of the Mexican species, in contrast, grow on grassy slopes in hills and mountains. The flower stalks arise from basal rosettes of strap-shaped leaves. The terminal clusters of fragrant flowers are green, white or yellow, and can be large and spectacular. The genus name 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 ...

words ὑμήν (''hymen''), meaning "membrane", and καλός (''kalos''), meaning "beautiful". It refers to the curious shape of the flowers, which consist of six narrow, curved petals attached to a shallow cup that is formed from the fused stamens. The effect is of a spidery daffodil or lily, thus explaining the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

"spider lily".

Taxonomy

The genus ''Hymenocallis'' was created by

Richard Anthony Salisbury Richard Anthony Salisbury (born Richard Anthony Markham; 2 May 1761 – 23 March 1829) was a British botanist. While he carried out valuable work in horticultural and botanical sciences, several bitter disputes caused him to be ostracised by hi ...

in 1812, when he separated out a number of species formerly placed in ''

Pancratium Pankration (; ) was an unarmed combat sport introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as kicking, holds, joint locks, and chokes on the ground, making it s ...

'', starting with ''

Hymenocallis littoralis ''Hymenocallis littoralis'', commonly known as the beach spider lily or lirio de playa, is a species of plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae. It is native to warmer coastal regions of Latin America and a widely cultivated and naturalized ...

''. The main reason for the separation was that the fruits have only two seeds in each

locule A locule (: locules) or loculus (; : loculi) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usually refers to a chamber within an ovary ...

. Salisbury explained the name as referring to the "beautiful membrane which connects the filaments."; se
page 338
in the third edition published in 1820.

Species

Texas Spiderlily -- Hymenocallis acutifolia

, the ''World Checklist of Selected Plant Families'' accepts 65 species:, search for "Hymenocallis" # ''

Hymenocallis acutifolia ''Hymenocallis acutifolia'' is a plant species first described in 1826 with the name ''Hymenocallis littoralis'' var. ''acutifolia''. It is endemic to Mexico, known from the States of Oaxaca, Michoacán, Jalisco, Veracruz, Puebla, and Nayarit.G ...

'' (Herb. ex Sims) Sweet - Mexico # ''

Hymenocallis araniflora ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of flowering plants in the Amaryllidaceae, amaryllis family native to the Americas. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous plant, herbaceous bulbous perennial plant, perenn ...

'' T.M.Howard -

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales. It is located in northwest Mexic ...

Nayarit Nayarit, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in Municipalities of Nayarit, 20 municipalit ...

# ''

Hymenocallis arenicola ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of flowering plants in the amaryllis family native to the Americas. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mex ...

'' Northr. -

Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of its population. ...

Greater Antilles The Greater Antilles is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica, together with Navassa Island and the Cayman Islands. Seven island states share the region of the Greater Antille ...

# ''

Hymenocallis astrostephana ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of flowering plants in the amaryllis family native to the Americas. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mex ...

'' T.M.Howard -

Guerrero Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...

# '' Hymenocallis azteciana'' Traub -

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...

# '' Hymenocallis baumlii'' Ravenna -

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

# '' Hymenocallis bolivariana'' Traub -

Monagas Monagas State (, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Monagas State covers a total surface area of and, as of the 2011 census, had a population of 905,443. Monagas State is surrounded by Sucre State in the north, Anzoátegui State in the ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

# '' Hymenocallis caribaea'' (L.) Herb. – Caribbean spiderlily -

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

# '' Hymenocallis choctawensis'' Traub – Choctaw spiderlily -

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

Florida Panhandle The Florida panhandle (also known as West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long, bordered by Alabama on the west and north, Georgia (U.S. state ...

# '' Hymenocallis choretis'' Hemsl. - southern

# '' Hymenocallis cleo'' Ravenna -

# '' Hymenocallis clivorum'' Laferr. -

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

# '' Hymenocallis concinna'' Baker -

# '' Hymenocallis cordifolia'' Micheli -

# ''

Hymenocallis coronaria ''Hymenocallis coronaria'', commonly known as the Cahaba lily, shoal lily, or shoals spider-lily, is an aquatic, perennial flowering plant species of the genus '' Hymenocallis''. It is endemic to the Southeastern United States, being found only ...

'' (Leconte) Kunth – Cahaba lily -

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

# '' Hymenocallis crassifolia'' Herb. -

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

# '' Hymenocallis durangoensis'' T.M.Howard -

Durango Durango, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Durango, is one of the 31 states which make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in the northwest portion of the country. With a population of 1,832,650 ...

# '' Hymenocallis duvalensis'' Traub ex Laferr. – Dixie spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis eucharidifolia'' Baker -

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

# '' Hymenocallis fragrans'' (Salisb.) Salisb. -

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

# '' Hymenocallis franklinensis'' Ger.L.Sm. – Franklin spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis gholsonii'' G.Lom.Sm. & Garland -

# '' Hymenocallis glauca'' (Zucc.) M.Roem. - central + southern

# ''

Hymenocallis godfreyi ''Hymenocallis godfreyi'' (Godfrey's spiderlily) is a plant in the Amaryllidaceae. The plant is a rare endemic known only from marshes near Fort San Marcos de Apalache on the St. Mark's River in Wakulla County, Florida. Some of its range lies ...

'' G.L.Sm. & Darst – Godfrey's spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis graminifolia'' Greenm. -

Morelos Morelos, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos, is a landlocked state located in south-central Mexico. It is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Mun ...

# '' Hymenocallis guatemalensis'' Traub -

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

# '' Hymenocallis guerreroensis'' T.M.Howard -

# '' Hymenocallis harrisiana'' Herb. - central + southern Mexico # '' Hymenocallis henryae'' Traub – Henry's spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis howardii'' Bauml - western

# ''

Hymenocallis imperialis ''Hymenocallis imperialis'', common name Big Fatty, is a plant species native to the Mexico, Mexican states of San Luis Potosí and Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo. It is also cultivated in other regions as an ornamental. Description ''Hymenocallis imp ...

'' T.M.Howard -

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí, is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 59 municipalities and is named after its capital city, San Luis Potosí. It ...

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico :''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)'' * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coah ...

# '' Hymenocallis incaica'' Ravenna -

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

# '' Hymenocallis jaliscensis'' M.E.Jones -

# '' Hymenocallis latifolia'' (Mill.) M.Roem. – perfumed spiderlily -

# '' Hymenocallis leavenworthii'' (Standl. & Steyerm.) Bauml -

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...

# ''

Hymenocallis lehmilleri ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of flowering plants in the amaryllis family native to the Americas. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mex ...

'' T.M.Howard -

# '' Hymenocallis limaensis'' Traub - Lima Province in

# '' Hymenocallis liriosme'' (Raf.) Shinners – Texan spiderlily (yellow center) - south-central United States # ''

'' (Jacq.) Salisb. - Mexico, Central America, northern South America # '' Hymenocallis lobata'' Klotzsch -

# '' Hymenocallis longibracteata'' Hochr. -

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

# '' Hymenocallis maximilianii'' T.M.Howard -

# '' Hymenocallis multiflora'' Vargas -

# '' Hymenocallis occidentalis'' (Leconte) Kunth - southeastern + south-central United States # '' Hymenocallis ornata'' (C.D.Bouché) M.Roem. -

# ''

Hymenocallis ovata ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of flowering plants in the amaryllis family native to the Americas. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mex ...

'' (Mill.) M.Roem. -

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

# '' Hymenocallis palmeri'' S.Watson – alligator lily (yellow center) -

# '' Hymenocallis partita'' Ravenna -

# '' Hymenocallis phalangidis'' Bauml -

# '' Hymenocallis pimana'' Laferr. - Chihuahua,

# '' Hymenocallis portamonetensis'' Ravenna -

# '' Hymenocallis praticola'' Britton & P.Wilson -

# '' Hymenocallis proterantha'' Bauml - southern

# '' Hymenocallis pumila'' Bauml -

Colima Colima, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima, is among the 31 states that make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima. Colima is a small state of western Mexico on the cen ...

# '' Hymenocallis puntagordensis'' Traub – Punta Gordo spiderlily - southern

# '' Hymenocallis pygmaea'' Traub -

# '' Hymenocallis rotata'' (Ker Gawl.) Herb. – streambank spiderlily - northern

# †'' Hymenocallis schizostephana'' Worsley -

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

but extinct # '' Hymenocallis sonorensis'' Standl. -

# '' Hymenocallis speciosa'' (L.f. ex Salisb.) Salisb. – green-tinge spiderlily -

Windward Islands The Windward Islands are the southern, generally larger islands of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean islands or the West Indies. Located approximately between latitudes 10° and 16° N and longitudes 60° and 62° W, they extend from D ...

# '' Hymenocallis tridentata'' Small -

# '' Hymenocallis tubiflora'' Salisb. -

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

Guianas The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British Guiana, British, Surinam (Dutch colo ...

, northwestern

# '' Hymenocallis vasconcelosii'' García-Mend. -

Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...

# '' Hymenocallis venezuelensis'' Traub -

# '' Hymenocallis woelfleana'' T.M.Howard -

;Formerly included Numerous names have been coined for species once considered members of ''Hymenocallis'' but now regarded as better suited to other genera. Most of the species are native to

. Such genera include '' Clinanthus'', '' Eucharis'', ''

Ismene In Greek mythology, Ismene (; ) is a Theban princess. She is the daughter and half-sister of Oedipus, king of Thebes, daughter and granddaughter of Jocasta, and sister of Antigone, Eteocles, and Polynices. She appears in several tragic pl ...

'', '' Leptochiton'' and ''

''. Below are some examples of these species:

Phylogeny

It is closely related to ''

'', to which it shared a common ancestor 26.14 million years ago. It is the sister group to '' Leptochiton'', from which it separated 24.46 million years ago.Meerow, A. W., Gardner, E. M., & Nakamura, K. (2020)
"Phylogenomics of the Andean tetraploid clade of the American Amaryllidaceae (subfamily Amaryllidoideae): unlocking a polyploid generic radiation abetted by continental geodynamics."
Frontiers in Plant Science, 11, 582422.

Cultivation

Most ''Hymenocallis'' must be grown in a warm greenhouse or in a sheltered sunny spot where the ground does not freeze. The North American species ''H. occidentalis'' is found as far north as southwestern Indiana where winters can reach . They like good drainage and grow well in a soil rich with organic matter. The following species and

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

s are found in cultivation:-

References

{{Authority control Amaryllidaceae genera Taxa named by Richard Anthony Salisbury

Taxonomy

Species

Phylogeny

Cultivation

See also

References