Zephyranthes

Zephyranthes
Zephyranthes candida
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily:	Amaryllidoideae
Tribe:	Hippeastreae
Subtribe:	Zephyranthinae
Genus:	Zephyranthes Herb.[1]
Synonyms[2]
Atamosco Adans. Atamasco Raf. Haylockia Herb. Cooperia Herb. Sceptranthes Graham Mesochloa Raf. Plectronema Raf. Pogonema Raf. Argyropsis M.Roem. Arviela Salisb. Aidema Ravenna

Diversity in Zephyranthes

Zephyranthes carinata

Zephyranthes citrina

Zephyranthes candida

Zephyranthes rosea

Zephyranthes /ˌzɛfᵻˈrænθiːz/^[3] is a genus of temperate and tropical plants in the Amaryllis family, native to the Western Hemisphere and widely cultivated as ornamentals. There are over 70 recognized species^[4] species in the Amaryllis family (subfamily Amaryllidoideae).^[5] as well as numerous hybrids and cultivars. Common names for species in this genus include fairy lily, rainflower, zephyr lily, magic lily, Atamasco lily, and rain lily.

The name is derived from Ζέφυρος (Zephyrus), the Greek god of the west wind, and ἄνθος (anthos), meaning flower, referring to the slender stalks.^[6]

Taxonomy

According to Meerow et al., cladistics suggests that the genus is native to the Americas. Several species have become naturalized (sometimes unintentionally) in other places like Hawaii, Indonesia, and Thailand. The species that are native to the higher altitudes in Mexico (e.g. Z. lindleyana, Central America (Costa Rica, e.g. Z. carinata) and parts of North America (e.g. Z. longifolia) or Argentina (e.g. Z. candida) represent the species having the greatest potential for cold hardiness.

Biology

These perennial bulbs (geophytes) tolerate many ecological niches (periodically wet soil to desert conditions), and have many ornamental characteristics. Care should be taken with the plants since many of the parts, leaves, bulbs etc. are currently considered toxic. The genus has been evaluated for possible medicinal properties, and the biochemically toxic compounds are classed as alkaloids.^[7]

Morphology

Species in the genus which are listed in this article vary in morphology. Along with floral morphology, characteristics such as bulb size, bulb tunic color, and leaf morphology help identify individual species.

Foliage in the wild is often ephemeral, but under cultivation becomes more persistent. Leaf color ranges from the bright grassy green of Z. candida (shown in the photo) to rather broad glaucous colored foliage such as found in Z. drummondii. A few of the species have distinct bronze tints in the foliage when grown in bright light. Size of leaves in these species, ranges from dark green and tiny grassy leaves in species like Z. jonesi or Z. longifolia, to broader, glaucous leaves in species like Z. drummondii. Perhaps largest leaves of all is found on Z. lindleyana from Mexico, usually distributed as a cultivar called 'Horsetail Falls,' this species has handsome broad leaves almost like a Hippeastrum.

Flowers

Flower color in the species ranges from white to yellow (various tints of this color from lemon to sulfur) and pink. Zephyranthes have erect flower stalks which support a flower that may be upward facing or slightly nodding. The funnel-shaped, flowers with six petals can be crocus shaped, but may also open flat such as in Z. jonesii or even reflex slightly.

The flowers of some species have a sweet, pleasant fragrance. Fragrance appears to be recessive in crosses, but there are a few species or hybrids, Z. drummondii (white), Z. morrisclintae (pink) and Z. jonesii (light yellow), that all carry the trait. At least two of these open their flowers at night and are attractive to nocturnal insects. The flowers typically last only for a day or two; but new flowers may appear in a succession of blooms, especially during humid or rainy weather.

Various members of the genus may bloom spring only or repeat and continue into autumn, often a few days after rainstorms thus one of the common names, rain lilies. Periods of synchronous bloom, which breeders have dubbed "blitzes", are part of their ornamental value, but also times breeders exploit for the purpose of producing new hybrids.^[8]

Most species under cultivation will bloom without the naturally imposed drought and wet that occurs in nature. Greenhouse grown plants bloom very freely but cycle through periods of bloom. One of the longest blooming of all the species is Z. primulina which blooms from April until October. Although it is apomictic, it is a choice parent for crosses because of its rapid repeat flowering trait and long bloom season. Some other species such as Z. morrisclintae appear to bloom only in the spring season. Most of these species are easily propagated vegetatively via offsets or twin scaling. A few of them such a Z. clintae are slow to produce increase.

Unusual phenotypes can be preserved vegetatively. Sexual reproduction is via seed. The apomictic species freely set seed and faithfully reproduce the maternal phenotype. Sterility in hybrids can be problematic;reasons for this are mentioned below. Seed usually is best sown quickly after harvest, although short term storage can be successful. Maiden seedling can be brought into bloom for some of the hybrid in 8–12 months after sowing in ideal conditions. This makes it easy to carry out checks for apomixis.

Cultivation

Currently these plants are commonly cultivated in USDA hardiness zones 7–10. Rain lily breeders may develop cultivars with greater cold hardness.

Generally rain lilies are sold in nurseries already potted up. This is of benefit since the growth cycle is not interrupted. Rarely (and not ideally), dried bulbs are marketed. Such dried bulbs usually become established after one to two growing seasons and will regain bloom vigor.

Although many of the common names include "lily", these plants are actually in the Amaryllis family. They are much less fussy than the amaryllis however. Zephyranthes are bulbs, but you don't have to fuss over them like tulips. You usually buy them in one gallon pots with ample soil around them. They come out of the pot in a big clump of 30 or so bulbs and you can simply plant the entire clump intact or separate them and spread them out a little.

Zephyranthes are available year round in most nurseries in USDA Zones 7–10. While the pink species is best known, coral, white, and yellow species are gaining popularity. If you plant Zephyranthes when it is cool, give them some water as they get established, then you never need to mess with them again. Just enjoy them. No watering, no pruning, no muss, no fuss.

While Zephyranthes can stand dry periods, if you want the graceful green leaves to remain showing all year, you may need to add some water in drier periods or more arid climates. This can be a good thing if you let them dry a week or so between watering. The cycle of drying then watering encourages them to send forth bewitching flowers.

All Zephyranthes do best with a little shade in the US Southwest.^[9] If you plant them around the base of trees or shrubs, everyone wins. You get a ground cover that shades the ground so your trees lose less water to evaporation, and zephyranthes get some shade. The cover of zephyranthes hides fallen leaves, which turn into nutrient rich compost for continued plant health, and you have less raking.

Elizabeth Lawrence in her classic A Southern Garden (1942) writes with enthusiasm about pink rain lily, Zephyranthes grandiflora (=Zephyranthes carinata):

It is one of the hardiest species and is said to winter safely in Philadelphia. As a child I thought of the little rose-colored lilies as the sign and seal of summer. My grandmother in Georgia grew them in her garden, and my grandmother in West Virginia grew them in little pots on the front porch. Those in my garden [in Raleigh] came from Georgia. They have been with me so long and have increased so much that their bloom makes a sea of pink. The season is in June but there is scattered bloom in the late summer and even to the end of September. The flowers are large, to over three inches long, on ten-inch stems. They open out flat at midday and close in the afternoon; this is a characteristic of the genus. The shimmering leaves are grass green.

Breeding

Breeding with these species has some inherent difficulties summarized by RoyChowdhury (2006) as ranging from pseudogamy and apomixis, differences in chromosome number and varying times of flowering. In spite of these drawbacks breeding work is being done to enhance the value of the plants as ornamentals. Because of the nature of botanical restriction breeding programs often encounter impediments. Reciprocal crosses may be difficult because the apomictic parent cannot be used as female parents. However interspecific crosses are well documented.^[10] There are tri-hybrids and quad-hybrids being produced (crossing 3 or 4 distinct species). Such work indicates that complex hybrids should be possible. One constraint remains that seedlings may still carry the apomictic trait, and it is necessary to have progeny from a test cross to determine this.

John Fellers, Fadjar Marta and Tony Avent^[11] are just a few of the breeders currently working today to increase the potential for these plants. Their work has come to the attention of connoisseurs of the these plants. Colors in man-made crosses currently include red, orange, tan, salmon, blends, picotees and stripes. Floral types such as goblet shaped, wavy petal edges, narrow petals and doubles have been bred (Marta 2005). Complex hybrids may have advantages in holding their flowers open longer, up to three days. While difficult, there have been a few attempts to cross some of these species with related species in the genus Habranthus. Currently it appears that a few crosses with large flowered Habranthus species have been possible for example the cultivar, 'Normal Pearl' which is an intergeneric cross.

Species

The list of species below is taken from the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families as of September 2011,^[2] unless otherwise noted. Only some selected synonyms are given.

Some other names are found in the horticultural literature, but as of September 2011 not in scientific databases of plant names, such as the Kew Checklist or the International Plant Names Index. These include: Zephyranthes huastecana, Zephyranthes lancasterae, Zephyranthes sylvestris and Zephyranthes zeyheri. Zephyranthes sulphurea is Z. citrina.

Formerly placed here

• Cooperia pedunculata Herb. (as Z. drummondii D.Don)
• Habranthus arenicola (Brandegee) Flagg, G.Lom.Sm. & Meerow (as Z. arenicola Brandegee)^[2]
• Habranthus cardinalis (C.H.Wright) Sealy (as Z. cardinalis C.H.Wright)
• Habranthus chichimeca (T.M.Howard & S.Ogden) Flagg, G.Lom.Sm. & Meerow (as Z. chichimeca T.M.Howard & S.Ogden)
• Habranthus longifolius (Hemsl.) Flagg, G.Lom.Sm. & Meerow (as Z. aurea S.Watson^[2] and Z. longifolia Hemsl.)
• Habranthus longipes (Baker) Sealy (as Z. longipes Baker)
• Habranthus robustus Herb. (as Z. robusta (Herb.) Baker)
• Pyrolirion aureum Herb. (as Z. aurea (Herb.) Baker)^[12]

Named hybrids and cultivars

annotated where possible

References

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zephyranthes.

Wikispecies has information related to: Zephyranthes

Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Zephyranthes.