| Hymenocallis coronaria | |
|---|---|
| H. coronaria in bloom at Hargrove Shoals in Alabama. |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| clade: | Angiosperms |
| clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Amaryllidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Amaryllidoideae |
| Genus: | Hymenocallis |
| Species: | H. coronaria |
| Binomial name | |
| Hymenocallis coronaria |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Pancratium fluitans |
|
Hymenocallis coronaria (Cahaba Lily or Shoals spider-lily) is a species of the genus Hymenocallis, native to the Southeastern United States. It is an aquatic, perennial flowering plant found only in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Within Alabama it is known as the Cahaba Lily, outside of that state it is known as the Shoals spider-lily because it requires a swift, shallow, water current and direct sunlight to flourish.[1] The plant grows to about 3 feet (0.9 m) tall and develops from a bulb that lodges in between rocks in the shoals.[2] It blooms from early May to late June. Each fragrant flower blooms for one day.[1]
The plant was first scientifically described in 1783 by William Bartram, as the “odoriferous Pancratium fluitans which almost alone possesses the little rocky islets”.[3] Hymenocallis coronaria is under consideration for federal protection due to entire populations being wiped out by dam construction.[3]
Two of the largest remaining stands of this plant in the world are located at Landsford Canal State Park on the Catawba River in Chester County, South Carolina and the Hargrove Shoals within the boundaries of the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge near West Blocton, Alabama. In May 1990 West Blocton began holding an annual "Cahaba Lily Festival" at which it crowns a "Cahaba Lily Queen".[4]