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

cebolleta, copper zephyr-lily

Leaf

blade glossy deep green, to 3 mm wide.

blade dull green, to 1(–2) 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 to slightly inclined;

perianth yellow, funnelform, 2.1–2.8 cm;

perianth tube green, 0.2–0.6 cm, increasing in diam., no more than 1/4 perianth length, ca. 1/2 (1/4–3/4) filament length, no more than 1/4 spathe length;

tepals rarely reflexed;

stamens diverging, in 2 distinctly unequal sets;

filaments filiform, 0.7–1.1 cm;

anthers in 2 nonoverlapping sets, 3–6 mm;

style longer than perianth tube;

stigma 3-fid, usually among anthers;

pedicel 0.7–1.5 cm, shorter than spathe.

Spathe

(1.8–)2–4 cm.

2.1–3.1 cm.

2n

= 38.

= 48.

Zephyranthes candida

Zephyranthes longifolia

Phenology Flowering summer–mid fall (Jun–Nov). Flowering late spring–summer (May–Aug).
Habitat Sandy humus soil, coastal plains Sandy, gravelly, calcareous, alkaline soils in highlands
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 40–2400 m (100–7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; South America (Argentina, Peru, Uruguay) [Introduced in North America]
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico
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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.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 302. FNA vol. 26, p. 300.
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. drummondii, Z. grandiflora, Z. insularum, Z. jonesii, Z. pulchella, Z. refugiensis, Z. rosea, Z. simpsonii, Z. smallii, Z. traubii, Z. treatiae
Synonyms Amaryllis candida, Argyropsis candida, Atamosco candida, Plectronema candida
Name authority (Lindley) Herbert: Bot. Mag. 53: plate 2607. (1826) Hemsley: Diagn. Pl. Nov. Mexic., 55. (1880)
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