Habranthus

Herbert

Bot. Mag. 51: plate 2464. 1824.

Common names: Rain-lily
Etymology: Greek habros, delicate or splendid, and anthos, flower
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 281. Mentioned on page 55.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA26 Plate 042.jpegHabranthus tubispathus
Hippeastrum puniceum
Hymenocallis occidentalis var. occidentalis
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Kimberly J. Martin
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Herbs, perennial, scapose, from bulbs. Bulbs black or brown, tunicate, ovoid or globose, sometimes with long neck. Leaves deciduous, sessile, erect or recumbent, bases overlapping, sheathing; blade linear, rarely exceeding 2 cm wide, smooth. Scape hollow. Inflorescences umbellate, 1 [–4] -flowered, spathaceous; spathe proximally tubular; bracteoles sometimes present. Flowers declinate [to suberect], somewhat zygomorphic; perianth connate proximally, funnelform, shortly tubular basally, 2–8 cm; tepals subequal; filaments inserted on tepals distal to perianth-tube, fasciculate [semifasciculate], declinate and recurving distally, filiform, in sets of 4 different lengths; anthers submedially dorsifixed, usually parallel with floral axis, linear-oblong; ovary inferior; style filiform; stigma 3-fid, lobes linear; pedicel rarely absent, hollow. Fruits capsular, 3-locular, thin-walled, subglobose or ± oblate. Seeds numerous, dark-brown to black, flat, D-shaped, obliquely winged, lustrous. x = 6.

Distribution

se to sc United States, Mexico, South America

Discussion

Species ca. 30 (2 in the flora).

Habranthus species have at times been included in the genus Zephyranthes. The somewhat zygomorphic flower of Habranthus is clearly distinguished by filaments of 4 different lengths, which are fasciculate to semifasciculate, and always longer than the perianth tube. The actinomorphic flower of Zephyranthes is distinguished by filaments of two lengths (sometimes subequal), which are not fasciculate and are spreading except when shorter than the perianth tube.

All measurements were taken from pressed, dried specimens. Generally, the maximum width of a fresh leaf would be about one and one half times that reported here.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Perianth bright yellow or orangish yellow, less than 4 cm; stigma borne near top of stamens; leaf blade not exceeding 4 mm wide. Habranthus tubispathus
1 Perianth pink, 6+ cm; stigma borne ca. 1 cm beyond stamens; leaf blade more than 5 mm wide. Habranthus robustus

"wide" is not a number."thicker" is not a number.

... more about "Habranthus"
dorsifixed +
linear-oblong +
Raymond O. Flagg +, Gerald L. Smith +  and Walter S. Flory† +
Herbert +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
overlapping +
dilated +
reticulate-veined +  and parallel-veined +
sheathing +  and involucrate +
1;several +
brown +  and black +
Rain-lily +
se to sc United States +, Mexico +  and South America +
Greek habros, delicate or splendid, and anthos, flower +
recurving +  and declinate +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
thin-walled +  and capsular +
indehiscent +, septicidal +  and loculicidal +
oblate +  and subglobose +
membranaceous +  and leathery +
spathaceous +, 1[-4]-flowered +  and umbellate +
paired +, paniculate +  and racemose +
deciduous +
recumbent +  and erect +
many;several +
zygomorphic +  and actinomorphic +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
wind-distributed +
dark-brown +  and black +
d--shaped +
adnate +  and free +
staminodial +
3 +, 4 +  and 6 +
1 +  and several +
3 +  and 1 +
filiform +
Habranthus +
Liliaceae +
connate +  and distinct +
subequal +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
3 +  and 2 +