Zephyranthes candida
Zephyranthes treatiae
autumn rain-lily, autumn zephyrlily, Peruvian swamp-lily
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 to inclined;
perianth mostly white to pink, color deepening with age, funnelform, (6–)6.6–9.5(–11) cm;
perianth tube green, (1.7–)2–3(–3.1) cm, increasing in diam., at least 1/4 perianth length, ± equaling (2/3–11/4) filament length, ca. 2/3–11/3 spathe length;
tepals usually reflexed;
stamens diverging, appearing equal;
filaments filiform, (1.6–)2–4(–4.6) cm;
anthers 3–6(–8) mm;
style longer than perianth tube;
stigma 3-fid, exserted more than 2 mm beyond anthers;
pedicel 0–1(–1.2) cm, shorter than spathe.
(1.8–)2–4 cm.
(1.8–)2–3.3(–3.6) cm.
= 38.
= 24.
Zephyranthes candida
Zephyranthes treatiae
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.)
It has generally been thought that Zephyranthes atamasca and Z. treatiae are distinguishable only by differences in leaves and habitat, and that their flowers are not significantly different. However, the greater length of the perianth tube compared with that of the filaments in Z. treatiae readily separates that species from Z. atamasca.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
LA Plants
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
