Zephyranthes is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of 71 species in the Amaryllis

Amaryllidaceae

Amaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...

 family (subfamily Amaryllidoideae). There are numerous hybrids and cultivars. Common names for species in this genus include fairy lily, rainflower, zephyr lily, magic lily, Atamasco lily, and rain lily.

The name is derived from Ζέφυρος (Zephyrus), the Greek god of the west wind, and ἄνθος (anthos), meaning flower, referring to the slender stalks.

Taxonomy

According to Meerow

Alan W. Meerow

Alan W. Meerow is an American botanist, born in New York in 1952. He specializes in the taxonomy of the family Amaryllidaceae and the horticulture of palms and tropical ornamental plants....

 et al., cladistics

Cladistics

Cladistics is a method of classifying species of organisms into groups called clades, which consist of an ancestor organism and all its descendants . For example, birds, dinosaurs, crocodiles, and all descendants of their most recent common ancestor form a clade...

 suggests that the genus is native to the Americas

Americas

The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

. Several species have become naturalized

Naturalisation (biology)

In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....

 (sometimes unintentionally) in other places like Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

, Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

, and Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. The species that are native to the higher altitudes in Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 (e.g. Z. lindleyana, Central America (Costa Rica, e.g. Z. carinata) and parts of North America (e.g. Z. longifolia) or Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 (e.g. Z. candida) represent the species having the greatest potential for cold hardiness

Hardiness (plants)

Hardiness of plants describe their ability to survive adverse growing conditions. It is usually limited to discussions of climatic adversity. Thus a plant's ability to tolerate cold, heat, drought, flooding, or wind are typically considered measurements of hardiness. Hardiness of plants is defined...

.

Biology

These perennial bulbs (geophytes) tolerate many ecological niches (periodically wet soil to desert conditions), and have many ornamental characteristics. Care should be taken with the plants since many of the parts, leaves, bulbs etc. are currently considered toxic. The genus has been evaluated for possible medicinal properties, and the biochemically toxic compounds are classed as alkaloids. (Kojima et al. 1997.)

Morphology

Species in the genus which are listed in this article vary in morphology

Morphology (biology)

In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....

. Along with floral morphology, characteristics such as bulb size, bulb tunic color, and leaf morphology help identify individual species.

Foliage in the wild is often ephemeral, but under cultivation becomes more persistent. Leaf color ranges from the bright grassy green of Z. candida (shown in the photo) to rather broad glaucous colored foliage such as found in Z. drummondii. A few of the species have distinct bronze tints in the foliage when grown in bright light. Size of leaves in these species, ranges from dark green and tiny grassy leaves in species like Z. jonesi or Z. longifolia, to broader, glaucous leaves in species like Z. drummondii. Perhaps largest leaves of all is found on Z. lindleyana from Mexico, usually distributed as a cultivar called 'Horsetail Falls,' this species has handsome broad leaves almost like a Hippeastrum

Hippeastrum

Hippeastrum is a genus of about 90 species and 600+ hybrids and cultivars of bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas from Argentina north to Mexico and the Caribbean. Some species are grown for their large...

.

Flowers

Flower color in the species ranges from white to yellow (various tints of this color from lemon to sulfur) and pink. Zephyranthes have erect flower stalks which support a flower that may be upward facing or slightly nodding. The funnel-shaped, flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

s with six petal

Petal

Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...

s can be crocus shaped, but may also open flat such as in Z. jonesii or even reflex slightly.

The flowers of some species have a sweet, pleasant fragrance. Fragrance appears to be recessive in crosses, but there are a few species or hybrids, Z. drummondii (white), Z. morrisclintae (pink) and Z. jonesii (light yellow), that all carry the trait. At least two of these open their flowers at night and are attractive to nocturnal insects. The flowers typically last only for a day or two; but new flowers may appear in a succession of blooms, especially during humid or rainy weather.

Various members of the genus may bloom spring only or repeat and continue into autumn, often a few days after rainstorms thus one of the common names, rain lilies. Periods of synchronous bloom, which breeders have dubbed 'blitzes', are part of their ornamental value, but also times breeders exploit for the purpose of producing new hybrids (Marta 2005).

Most species under cultivation will bloom without the naturally imposed drought and wet that occurs in nature. Greenhouse grown plants bloom very freely but cycle through periods of bloom. One of the longest blooming of all the species is Z. primulina which blooms from April until October. Although it is apomictic, it is a choice parent for crosses because of its rapid repeat flowering trait and long bloom season. Some other species such as Z. morrisclintae appear to bloom only in the spring season. Most of these species are easily propagated vegetatively via offsets or twin scaling. A few of them such a Z. clintae are slow to produce increase.

Unusual phenotypes can be preserved vegetatively. Sexual reproduction is via seed. The apomictic species freely set seed and faithfully reproduce the maternal phenotype. Sterility in hybrids can be problematic;reasons for this are mentioned below. Seed usually is best sown quickly after harvest, although short term storage can be successful. Maiden seedling can be brought into bloom for some of the hybrid in 8-12 months after sowing in ideal conditions. This makes it easy to carry out checks for apomixis.

Cultivation

Currently these plants are commonly cultivated in USDA hardiness zones 7-10. Rain lily breeders may develop cultivars with greater cold hardness.

Generally rain lilies are sold in nurseries already potted up. This is of benefit since the growth cycle is not interrupted. Rarely (and not ideally), dried bulbs are marketed. Such dried bulbs usually become established after one to two growing seasons and will regain bloom vigor.

Although many of the common names include "lily," these plants are actually in the Amaryllis family. They are much less fussy than the amaryllis however. Zephyranthes are bulbs, but you don't have to fuss over them like tulips. You usually buy them in one gallon pots with ample soil around them. They come out of the pot in a big clump of 30 or so bulbs and you can simply plant the entire clump intact or separate them and spread them out a little.

Zephyranthes are available year round in most nurseries in USDA Zones 7-10. While the pink species is best known, coral, white, and yellow species are gaining popularity. If you plant Zephyranthes when it is cool, give them some water as they get established, then you never need to mess with them again. Just enjoy them. No watering, no pruning, no muss, no fuss.

While Zephyranthes can stand dry periods, if you want the graceful green leaves to remain showing all year, you may need to add some water in drier periods or more arid climates. This can be a good thing if you let them dry a week or so between watering. The cycle of drying then watering encourages them to send forth bewitching flowers.

All Zephyranthes do best with a little shade in the US Southwest (Soule, 2005). If you plant them around the base of trees or shrubs, everyone wins. You get a ground cover that shades the ground so your trees lose less water to evaporation, and zephyranthes get some shade. The cover of zephyranthes hides fallen leaves, which turn into nutrient rich compost for continued plant health, and you have less raking.

Elizabeth Lawrence in her classic "A Southern Garden" (1942) writes with enthusiasm about pink rain lily, Zephyranthes grandiflora (=Zephyranthes carinata):

"It is one of the hardiest species and is said to winter safely in Philadelphia. As a child I thought of the little rose-colored lilies as the sign and seal of summer. My grandmother in Georgia grew them in her garden, and my grandmother in West Virginia grew them in little pots on the front porch.

Those in my garden [in Raleigh] came from Georgia. They have been with me so long and have increased so much that their bloom makes a sea of pink. The season is in June but there is scattered bloom in the late summer and even to the end of September. The flowers are large, to over three inches long, on ten-inch stems. They open out flat at midday and close in the afternoon; this is a characteristic of the genus. The shimmering leaves are grass green."

Breeding

Breeding with these species has some inherent difficulties summarized by RoyChowdhury (2006) as ranging from pseudogamy and apomixis

Apomixis

In botany, apomixis was defined by Winkler as replacement of the normal sexual reproduction by asexual reproduction, without fertilization. This definition notably does not mention meiosis...

, differences in chromosome

Chromosome

A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...

 number and varying times of flowering. In spite of these drawbacks breeding work is being done to enhance the value of the plants as ornamentals. Because of the nature of botanical restriction breeding programs often encounter impediments. Reciprocal crosses may be difficult because the apomictic parent cannot be used as female parents. However interspecific crosses are well documented (RoyChowdhury 2006). There are tri-hybrids and quad-hybrids being produced (crossing 3 or 4 distinct species). Such work indicates that complex hybrids should be possible. One constraint remains that seedlings may still carry the apomictic trait, and it is necessary to have progeny from a test cross to determine this.

John Fellers, Fadjar Marta and Tony Avent

Tony Avent

Tony Avent is an American Horticulturist and Plantsman. He is the owner of Plant Delights Nursery and the founder of the Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition, he is a well-known plant explorer, author and public speaker....

 are just a few of the breeders currently working today to increase the potential for these plants. Their work has come to the attention of connoisseurs of the these plants. Colors in man-made crosses currently include red, orange, tan, salmon, blends, picotees and stripes. Floral types such as goblet shaped, wavy petal edges, narrow petals and doubles have been bred (Marta 2005). Complex hybrids may have advantages in holding their flowers open longer, up to three days. While difficult, there have been a few attempts to cross some of these species with related species in the genus Habranthus

Habranthus

Habranthus is a genus of tender herbaceous flowering bulbs in the Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. The genus was first identified by pioneering bulb enthusiast William Herbert in 1824.-Description:...

. Currently it appears that a few crosses with large flowered Habranthus species have been possible for example the cultivar, 'Normal Pearl' which is an intergeneric cross.

Species

The list of species below is taken from the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families , unless otherwise noted. Only some selected synonyms are given.

• Zephyranthes albiella Traub
• Zephyranthes albolilacinus Cárdenas
• Zephyranthes americana (Hoffmanns.) Ravenna
• Zephyranthes amoena Ravenna
• Zephyranthes andina (R.E.Fr.) Traub
• Zephyranthes atamasco (L.) Herb. – Atamasco lily, wild Easter lily (Florida, USA)
• Zephyranthes bella T.M.Howard & S.Ogden
• Zephyranthes bifolia (Aubl.) M.Roem.
• Zephyranthes brevipes Standl.
• Zephyranthes breviscapa Ravenna
• Zephyranthes briquetii J.F.Macbr.
• Zephyranthes candida
  Zephyranthes candida
  Zephyranthes candida, known as the Fairy Lily or White Rain Lily, is a native to the Rio de la Plata region of South America including Argentina and Uruguay but also native to Paraguay and Chile....
  
  (Lindl.) Herb. (Argentina)
• Zephyranthes capivarina Ravenna
• Zephyranthes cardinalis C.H.Wright
• Zephyranthes carinata Herb.
• Zephyranthes cearensis (Herb.) Baker' (Ceará, Brazil)
• Zephyranthes challensis Ravenna = Zephyranthes andina (R.E.Fr.) Traub
• Zephyranthes chlorosolen (Herb.) D.Dietr. (US)
• Zephyranthes chrysantha Greenm. & C.H.Thomps.
• Zephyranthes ciceroana M.M.Mejía & R.García
• Zephyranthes citrina Baker (Mexico)
• Zephyranthes clintiae Traub
• Zephyranthes concolor (Lindl.) Benth. & Hook.f.
• Zephyranthes crociflora T.M.Howard & S.Ogden
• Zephyranthes cubensis Urb.
• Zephyranthes depauperata Herb.
• Zephyranthes dichromantha T.M.Howard
• Zephyranthes diluta Ravenna
• Zephyranthes drummondii D.Don in R.Sweet – giant rain lily, prairie lily, Hill Country rain lily (US)
• Zephyranthes elegans Ravenna
• Zephyranthes erubescens S.Watson
• Zephyranthes filifolia Herb. ex Kraenzl.
• Zephyranthes flavissima Ravenna – yellow rain lily
• Zephyranthes fluvialis Ravenna
• Zephyranthes fosteri Traub
• Zephyranthes fragrans Ravenna
• Zephyranthes gracilis Herb.
• Zephyranthes gratissima Ravenna
• Zephyranthes guatemalensis L.B.Spencer
• Zephyranthes hondurensis Ravenna
• Zephyranthes howardii Traub
• Zephyranthes insularum
  Zephyranthes insularum
  Zephyranthes insularum is a bulbous flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, native to Cuba.-Taxonomy:Zephyranthes insularum H.H.Hume ex Moldenke is accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families as a distinct species. Zephyranthes insularum auct. non...
  
  H.H.Hume ex Moldenke (W. coast of Mexico)
• Zephyranthes jonesii (Cory) Traub (US)
• Zephyranthes katheriniae L.B.Spencer (Mexico)
• Zephyranthes lagesiana Ravenna
• Zephyranthes latissimifolia L.B.Spencer
• Zephyranthes leucantha T.M.Howard
• Zephyranthes lindleyana Herb. (Mexico)
• Zephyranthes longistyla Pax
• Zephyranthes longituba Flory ex Flagg & G.Lom.Sm.
• Zephyranthes macrosiphon Baker (Mexico)
• Zephyranthes mesochloa Herb. ex Lindl. (South America)
• Zephyranthes microstigma Ravenna
• Zephyranthes minima Herb.
• Zephyranthes minuta (Kunth) D.Dietr.
• Zephyranthes miradorensis (Kraenzl.) Espejo & López-Ferr.
• Zephyranthes moctezumae T.M.Howard (Mexico)
• Zephyranthes modesta Ravenna
• Zephyranthes morrisclintii Traub & T.M.Howard – Morris-Clint's rain lily
• Zephyranthes nelsonii Greenm.
• Zephyranthes nervosa Herb.
• Zephyranthes nymphaea T.M.Howard & S.Ogden
• Zephyranthes orellanae Carnevali
• Zephyranthes paranaensis Ravenna
• Zephyranthes parvula Killip = Zephyranthes andina (R.E.Fr.) Traub
• Zephyranthes plumieri H.H.Hume ex Moldenke
• Zephyranthes primulina T.M.Howard & S.Ogden – yellow rain lily (Mexico)
• Zephyranthes proctorii Acev.-Rodr. & M.T.Strong
• Zephyranthes pseudocolchicum Kraenzl.
• Zephyranthes puertoricensis
  Zephyranthes puertoricensis
  Zephyranthes puertoricensis, known commonly as the Puerto Rico zephyr lily, white fairy lily, and white zephyr lily, is a perennial geophyte in the flowering plant family, Amaryllis. Z. puertoricensis is native to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and northern South America where it is a member of low...
  
  Traub
• Zephyranthes pulchella J.G.Sm.
• Zephyranthes purpurella Ravenna
• Zephyranthes pusilla (Herb.) D.Dietr. = Zephyranthes americana (Hoffmanns.) Ravenna
• Zephyranthes refugiensis F.B.Jones – Refugio zephyr lily
• Zephyranthes reginae T.M.Howard & S.Ogden – Queens rain lily (Mexico)
• Zephyranthes rosalensis Ravenna
• Zephyranthes rosea
  Zephyranthes rosea
  Zephyranthes rosea, commonly known as the Cuban zephyr lily or the pink rain lily, is a species of rain lily native to the Caribbean. They are widely cultivated as ornamentals and have become naturalized in tropical regions worldwide. Like all rain lilies, they are known for blooming only after...
  
  Lindl. – pink rain lily
• Zephyranthes sessilis Herb.
• Zephyranthes simpsonii Chapm. – Simpson's lily, Carolina Atamasco lily
• Zephyranthes smallii (Alexander) Traub – Small's rain lily
• Zephyranthes stellaris Ravenna
• Zephyranthes subflava L.B.Spencer
• Zephyranthes susatana Fern.Alonso & Groenend.
• Zephyranthes traubii (W.Hayw.) Moldenke – Traub's rain lily, San Carlos rain lily, Mexican rain lily
• Zephyranthes treatiae S.Watson
• Zephyranthes tucumanensis Hunz.
• Zephyranthes uruguaianica Ravenna
• Zephyranthes verecunda Herb. = Zephyranthes minuta (Kunth) D.Dietr.
• Zephyranthes versicolor (Herb.) G.Nicholson
• Zephyranthes wrightii Baker
• Zephyranthes yaviensis Ravenna

Some other names are found in the horticultural literature, but not in scientific databases of plantnames, such as the Kew Checklist or the International Plant Names Index. These include: Zephyranthes huastecana, Zephyranthes lancasterae, Zephyranthes sylvestris and Zephyranthes zeyheri.

Formerly placed here

• Cooperia pedunculata Herb. (as Z. drummondii D.Don)
• Habranthus arenicola (Brandegee) Flagg, G.Lom.Sm. & Meerow (as Z. arenicola Brandegee)
• Habranthus cardinalis (C.H.Wright) Sealy (as Z. cardinalis C.H.Wright)
• Habranthus chichimeca (T.M.Howard & S.Ogden) Flagg, G.Lom.Sm. & Meerow (as Z. chichimeca T.M.Howard & S.Ogden)
• Habranthus longifolius (Hemsl.) Flagg, G.Lom.Sm. & Meerow (as Z. aurea S.Watson and Z. longifolia Hemsl.)
• Habranthus longipes (Baker) Sealy (as Z. longipes Baker)
• Habranthus robustus Herb. (as Z. robusta (Herb.) Baker)
• Pyrolirion aureum Herb. (as Z. aurea (Herb.) Baker)

Named hybrids and cultivars

annotated where possible