Habranthus tubispathus
Habranthus
Barbados snowdrop, copper-lily, Rio Grande copperlily
copperlily, rain-lily
black or brown, tunicate, ovoid or globose, sometimes with long neck.
blade dull green, to 4 mm wide.
deciduous, sessile, erect or recumbent, bases overlapping, sheathing;
blade linear, rarely exceeding 2 cm wide, smooth.
hollow.
1-flowered;
spathe 1.9–3.1 cm.
umbellate, 1[–4]-flowered, spathaceous;
spathe proximally tubular;
bracteoles sometimes present.
perianth 2.1–3.1 cm, tube tinged green, ca. 0.2 cm, distinct portions of tepals somewhat spreading, not reflexed, bright yellow or orangish yellow, sometimes tinged burgundy abaxially, color deepening proximally;
filaments 0.8–1.8 cm;
anthers (2–)4–5 mm;
style 1.8–2 cm;
stigma equaling or rarely extending more than 1 mm beyond anthers;
pedicel (2–)3.3–4.5(–5.6) mm, exceeding spathe.
declinate [to suberect], somewhat zygomorphic;
perianth connate proximally, funnelform, shortly tubular basally, 2–8 cm;
tepals subequal;
filaments inserted on tepals distal to perianth tube, fasciculate [semifasciculate], declinate and recurving distally, filiform, in sets of 4 different lengths;
anthers submedially dorsifixed, usually parallel with floral axis, linear-oblong;
ovary inferior;
style filiform;
stigma 3-fid, lobes linear;
pedicel rarely absent, hollow.
capsular, 3-locular, thin-walled, subglobose or ± oblate.
numerous, dark brown to black, flat, D-shaped, obliquely winged, lustrous.
= 6.
= 24.
Habranthus tubispathus
Habranthus
In addition to positional differences in the stamens, the trifid, linear stigma of Habranthus tubispathus distinguishes it in its North American range from late summer- and fall-blooming, yellow-flowered, sympatric Zephyranthes species, which have capitate stigmas.
It is not clear whether Habranthus tubispathus is native to North America or was introduced, but it is a disjunct species also found in Argentina, Brazil, central and southern Chile, and southern Uruguay. Another such species is Cienfuegosia drummondii (A. Gray) Lewton (Malvaceae), which occurs in northern Argentina, southernmost Brazil, Paraguay, and southern Texas. These taxa are two of a small group of bicentric species showing disjunct distributions between eastern North America and temperate South America (P. A. Fryxell 1967). All are perennial and fully self-compatible, with a high reproductive potential, so the establishment of a single individual could accomplish disjunction. However, H. tubispathus lacks what all the others share: an impermeable seed coat that allows for a degree of dormancy and longevity.
In the 1930s, Harold H. Hume (J. R. Sealy 1937) suggested that Spanish missionaries had introduced Habranthus tubispathus to Texas around 1700. W. C. Holmes and C. J. Wells (1980) have recently supported this idea. Nevertheless, this means of distribution is questionable since, as W. S. Flory (1938) pointed out, the records indicate that Spaniards out of Mexico founded the Texas missions, and H. tubispathus is not found in Mexico. A. R. Diamond et al. (1998) reported historical evidence for the introduction of H. tubispathus into Alabama in the late 1800s by seeds being sent from Texas. A similar mechanism could have introduced the species to Texas from South America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species ca. 30 (2 in the flora).
Habranthus species have at times been included in the genus Zephyranthes. The somewhat zygomorphic flower of Habranthus is clearly distinguished by filaments of 4 different lengths, which are fasciculate to semifasciculate, and always longer than the perianth tube. The actinomorphic flower of Zephyranthes is distinguished by filaments of two lengths (sometimes subequal), which are not fasciculate and are spreading except when shorter than the perianth tube.
All measurements were taken from pressed, dried specimens. Generally, the maximum width of a fresh leaf would be about one and one half times that reported here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Perianth bright yellow or orangish yellow, less than 4 cm; stigma borne near top of stamens; leaf blade not exceeding 4 mm wide. | H. tubispathus |
1. Perianth pink, 6+ cm; stigma borne ca. 1 cm beyond stamens; leaf blade more than 5 mm wide. | H. robustus |
LA Plants
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
