Griffinia nocturna

Griffinia nocturna
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Griffinia
Species: G. nocturna
Binomial name
Griffinia nocturna
Ravenna
Synonyms
  • Hyline nocturna

Griffinia nocturna is a bulbous species of flowering plant which is endemic to Brazil. Together with another closely related species, Griffinia gardneriana, it forms its own subgenus in the genus Griffinia named Hyline. A distinguishing feature of G. nocturna is that the flowers are white while almost all of the other members of the genus have lilac or blue flowers. They are scented, collected into an umbel. The plant blooms during the night and the flowers have already faded by the next day. The leaves are green and oblanceolate. Endemic to Brazil, it grows in arid or semi-arid regions from central to northern Brazil, in zones known as caatingas.