Flora of North America species comparison

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Zephyranthes candida

Zephyranthes smallii

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

blade glossy deep green, to 3 mm wide.

blade dull green, to 5 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 lemon yellow, salverform to broadly funnelform, 2.5–9 cm;

perianth tube yellowish green, 1.1–4.4 cm, diam. uniform, ca. 1/2 perianth length, ca. 3–5 times filament length, somewhat shorter than spathe;

tepals usually reflexed;

stamens fasciculate to semifasciculate, appearing equal;

filaments subulate, 0.4–0.9 cm, apex acute;

anthers 3–7 mm;

style longer than perianth tube;

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

pedicel (0–)0.1–3.5 cm, shorter than spathe.
Spathe

(1.8–)2–4 cm.

2.2–4.6 cm.
2n

= 38.

= 53, 54, 58, 70, 72.

Zephyranthes candida

Zephyranthes smallii
Phenology Flowering summer–mid fall (Jun–Nov). Flowering early fall (Sep–Oct).
Habitat Sandy humus soil, coastal plains Low, sandy loam, open fields, swales, ditches
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 0–10 m (0–0 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
TX
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.)

Morphology, cytology, and distribution suggest that Zephyranthes smallii (predominantly 2n = 54) arose from hybridization between Z. pulchella (2n = 48) and Z. chlorosolen (2n = 60 in Cameron County) in Brownsville.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 302. FNA vol. 26, p. 301.
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. longifolia, Z. pulchella, Z. refugiensis, Z. rosea, Z. simpsonii, Z. traubii, Z. treatiae
Synonyms Amaryllis candida, Argyropsis candida, Atamosco candida, Plectronema candida Cooperia smallii
Name authority (Lindley) Herbert: Bot. Mag. 53: plate 2607. (1826) (Alexander) Traub: Pl. Life 7: 42. (1951)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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