Zephyranthes candida
Zephyranthes grandiflora
autumn rain-lily, autumn zephyrlily, Peruvian swamp-lily
rosepink zephyrlily
blade glossy deep green, to 3 mm wide.
blade shiny green, to 7 mm wide.
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.
usually inclined;
perianth pink, funnelform, 5.6–9 cm;
perianth tube green, (1.2–)1.8–2.3 cm, increasing in diam., ca. 1/4 (1/5–1/3) perianth length, usually less than or equaling filament length, ca.1/3–1/2 spathe length;
tepals reflexed;
stamens diverging, appearing equal;
filaments filiform, 2–3 cm;
anthers 13–22 mm;
style longer than perianth tube;
stigma 3-fid, exserted more than 2 mm beyond anthers;
pedicel 1.3–3.8 cm, usually shorter than spathe.
(1.8–)2–4 cm.
3–4 cm.
= 38.
= 48.
Zephyranthes candida
Zephyranthes grandiflora
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.)
Zephyranthes grandiflora frequently displays flowers with extra parts and has been widely distributed as an ornamental. Flowers with extra parts have been seen in Z. atamasca, Z. candida, Z. rosea, and Z. treatiae. Zephyranthes grandiflora also has been found to have a variable number of chromosomes in cells from single plants (R. O. Flagg 1961).
As a rule, the flowers of Zephyranthes species having high chromosome numbers, 2n = 48 or more, are built for self-fertilization, with the stigma borne very near (within 2 mm), among, or beneath the anthers (R. O. Flagg and W. S. Flory 1962). However, Zephyranthes grandiflora is an exception and often exhibits poor fertility.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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