Zephyranthes candida
Zephyranthes simpsonii
autumn rain-lily, autumn zephyrlily, Peruvian swamp-lily
redmargin zephyrlily
blade glossy deep green, to 3 mm wide.
blade dull green, to 4 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.
erect;
perianth mostly white proximally, often strongly infused pink or purple distally, more so with age, funnelform, (4–)4.3–8.5(–10) cm;
perianth tube green, (1.4–)1.6–3.3(–4) cm, increasing in diam., ca. 1/3 or more perianth length, ± equaling or seldom less than (3/4–11/4) filament length, ± equaling (2/3–11/4) spathe length;
tepals slightly diverging, rarely reflexed;
stamens diverging, appearing equal;
filaments filiform, (1.5–)1.6–3(–3.2) cm;
anthers 3–6(–8) mm;
style longer than perianth tube;
stigma 3-fid, usually among or below anthers, rarely exserted more than 1 mm beyond anthers;
pedicel absent or to 0.6(–1.5) cm and shorter than spathe.
(1.8–)2–4 cm.
(1.7–)2–4(–4.2) cm.
= 38.
= 48.
Zephyranthes candida
Zephyranthes simpsonii
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.)
Of conservation concern.
Although the perianth of Zephyranthes simpsonii was originally described as pale pink, white forms are quite common. Any of the North American white-flowered species of Zephyranthes may be variously flushed with pink, increasingly so with age.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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