Hymenocallis--TOW Part One

The New World genus Hymenocallis Salisbury (Amaryllidaceae), recognized as
a distinct genus since 1812, is composed of roughly 70 to 80 species with
plenty of room for debate. The native habitats range in the United States
from Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, south to the Carolinas, Georgia,

Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Mexico where the genus explodes; the
majority of the species occur in Central America and radiate down into the
northern portions of South America (Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil) as

The closer one looks at the species and groups of species of Hymenocallis,
the harder it is to find the lines of distinction. Herbarium specimens are
valuable in providing locality information, primarily. Reticulate/hybrid
evolution would seem to play some role in speciation within the genus.

A big problem in gaining an understanding of the genus is that populations
are being eradicated at alarmingly fast rates as wetlands are being
modified. Lost populations could be links to other taxa; once the

populations are destroyed, the hybrid swarm populations become isolated.
It is like working on a puzzle with missing pieces. For example, H.
littoralis, the type specimen, is from a small island (Tera Bomba) on the
NE coast of Columbia. This could very well be one of the species H.
carribbeae or H. latifolia.

The SE US has 15 species (roughly). The tropics (South America, West

and Caribbean island) is host to a wide array of species with 4 species
occurring in Cuba, at least 3 or 4 species in Jamaica, a few species in

West Indies.

South America is host to another 5-6 species (e.g. H. venezuelensis, H.
tubiflora, H. speciosa, etc...). In Central America, H. latifolia occurs

Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala and Mexico (and uncommonly
coastal SE US). Mexico is another center of diversity for the genus with
many species native to the various climatic regions. Thad Howard, Dave
Lehmiller and Jim Bauml (he did his PhD on the Mexican species) have
experience with these plants.
These are a little more difficult to cultivate, as replicating their
habitat is difficult at sea level here in humid Florida.

The three closely related genera once classified as Hymenocallis ,
Ismene, Elisena, and Leptochiton , replace Hymenocallis in the Andean
regions. For practical purposes sometimes when referring to hybrids, the
genera Elisena, Ismene, and Leptochiton are recognized under the genus
Hymenocallis in a broad sense. They are distinct groups, not the true
spider lilies however. Meerow and Snijman recognize each group as distinct
genera; together the four genera comprise their tribe Hymenocallideae. The
taxonomy of the group seems in flux continuously.

Interestingly, the taxa that offset prolifically do not readily set seeds
and the taxa that set seeds well are not typically prolific offsetters.

some groups, rhizomes may occur in one population while in another of the
same species, some individuals in a population may have rhizome while most
others do not (H. palmeri, H. henryae, etc...). Some species rarely

particularly within the Mexican group.

Based upon my encounters with the genus in the United States, Hymenocallis
populations most often occur in or on the margins of wetland ecosystems
(marshes, lakes, rivers, forested swamps, wet prairies). Less often they
occur in dry woods (H. galvestonesis), flatwoods (H. henryae), or in
disturbed sites such as pastures and roadside ditches as do, for example,
some populations of H. palmeri and H. galvestonensis (H. ocidentalis var.
eulae) , or on coastal dunes as does H. latifolia var. keyensis (possibly
H. carribeae) on Bahia Honda key in Florida. They are most spectacular

found blooming on many rivers and spring runs in the Southeast, such as
the Cahaba lilies (Hymenocallis coronaria) on the Cahaba River in Alabama
and the spider lilies (H. rotata) on the Santa Fe River of northern

and its spring runs (H. franklinensis is another spring run spider lily) .

A few of the southeastern US species are listed as threatened or

and are protected in more than one state at the state level (H. coronaria,
H. godfreyi, H. henryae).

Spider lilies are commonly cultivated throughout most of their range and
are grown in many tropical parts of the New World. They make excellent cut
flowers, even if short lived. A few of the tropical species hold their
flower for a few days, however.

Kevin Preuss
St. Petersburg, FL

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