The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

autumn rain-lily, autumn zephyrlily, Peruvian swamp-lily

cebolleta, giant rain lily, prairie lily

Leaf

blade glossy deep green, to 3 mm wide.

blade glaucous-green, to 8 mm wide.

Flowers

erect;

perianth white, sometimes pinkish abaxially, subrotate, 3–4.5 cm;

perianth tube green, 0.1–0.4 cm, increasing in diam., less than 1/4 times perianth length, 1/5–1/3 times filament length, ca. 1/10 times spathe length;

tepals not reflexed;

stamens diverging, subequal;

filaments filiform, 1–1.4 cm;

anthers 5–8 mm;

style longer than perianth tube;

stigma capitate, usually among or exserted less than 2 mm beyond anthers;

pedicel (0.4–)1–2.5 cm, usually shorter than spathe.

erect;

perianth white, sometimes flushed pink abaxially, more so with age, broadly funnelform, 6–9 cm;

perianth tube white to green, 3–4(–4.7) cm, diam. primarily uniform, ca. 1/2 perianth length, more than 15 times filament length, equaling (3/4–11/4) spathe length;

tepals rarely reflexed;

stamens fasciculate, distinctly subequal;

filaments subulate, 0.1–0.2 cm, apex acute;

anthers 5–8 mm;

style notably shorter than perianth tube;

stigma 3-fid, included in perianth tube;

pedicel (0.2–)0.5–2(–3.3) cm, shorter than spathe.

Spathe

(1.8–)2–4 cm.

(3–)4–5 cm.

2n

= 38.

= 48, 72.

Zephyranthes candida

Zephyranthes drummondii

Phenology Flowering summer–mid fall (Jun–Nov). Flowering mid spring–mid summer (Mar–Aug).
Habitat Sandy humus soil, coastal plains Sandy/rocky, usually calcareous soils
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 0–900 m (0–3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; South America (Argentina, Peru, Uruguay) [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; LA; TX; ne Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

W. Herbert (1837) suggested that Zephyranthes candida might belong in a segregate genus, and within ten years Rafinesque and M. Roemer each separated it from Zephyranthes. Its leaves are about twice as thick as those of other species in the genus, and they persist through winter frosts and snow, a rare, if not unique, characteristic in Zephyranthes. The stigmatic lobes are not globose, as in Z. chlorosolen, but are somewhat erect and might be described as very abbreviated linear lobes; a careful study of fresh stigmas of “capitate” species is in order. Also, the chromosome complement of Z. candida appears to be anomalous within Zephyranthes. The species has been maintained in Zephyranthes for more than a century, but were Herbert, Rafinesque, and Roemer correct after all?

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Specimens of Zephyranthes drummondii with rare biflowered inflorescences were collected by B. C. Tharp in 1939 and 1946 in Austin, Texas. The species has naturalized in Florida.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 302. FNA vol. 26, p. 299.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Zephyranthes Liliaceae > Zephyranthes
Sibling taxa
Z. atamasca, Z. chlorosolen, Z. citrina, Z. drummondii, Z. grandiflora, Z. insularum, Z. jonesii, Z. longifolia, Z. pulchella, Z. refugiensis, Z. rosea, Z. simpsonii, Z. smallii, Z. traubii, Z. treatiae
Z. atamasca, Z. candida, Z. chlorosolen, Z. citrina, Z. grandiflora, Z. insularum, Z. jonesii, Z. longifolia, Z. pulchella, Z. refugiensis, Z. rosea, Z. simpsonii, Z. smallii, Z. traubii, Z. treatiae
Synonyms Amaryllis candida, Argyropsis candida, Atamosco candida, Plectronema candida Cooperia pedunculata
Name authority (Lindley) Herbert: Bot. Mag. 53: plate 2607. (1826) D. Don: in R. Sweet, Brit. Fl. Gard., ser. 2, 4: plate 328. (1836)
Web links