View source for Zephyranthes

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|taxon = Zephyranthes
|image = Zephyranthes candida.jpg
|image_caption = ''[[Zephyranthes candida]]''
|authority = [[William Herbert (botanist)|Herb.]]<ref name="GRIN">{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?13029 |title=Genus: ''Zephyranthes'' Herb. |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=2010-01-27 |access-date=2011-04-26}}</ref>
|synonyms_ref = <ref name=POWO_330336-2>{{cite web |title=((''Zephyranthes'' Herb.)) |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:330336-2 |access-date=2021-12-29 }}</ref>
|subdivision_ranks = Subgenera
|subdivision = 
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Eithea|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Eithea'']] <small>(Ravenna) Nic.García</small> 
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Zephyranthes|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Zephyranthes'']] ([[autonym (botany)|autonym]])
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Habranthus|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Habranthus'']] <small>(Herb.) Nic.García</small> 
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Neorhodophiala|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Neorhodophiala'']] <small>Nic.García & Meerow</small> 
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Myostemma|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Myostemma'']] <small>(Salisb.) Nic.García</small>
|subdivision_ref = <ref name=Garcia/>
| type_species = ''[[Zephyranthes atamasco]]'' <small>([[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]) [[William Herbert (botanist)|Herb.]]</small><ref name="IPNI_330336-2" />
|synonyms =
  {{Genus list|hidden=yes
  |Aidema|Ravenna
  |Argyropsis|M.Roem.
  |Arviela|Salisb.
  |Atamasco|Raf.
  |Atamosco|Adans.
  |Bathya|Ravenna
  |× Cooperanthes|Percy-Lanc.
  |Cooperia|Herb.
  |Eithea|Ravenna
  |Famatina|Ravenna
  |Habranthus|Herb.
  |Haylockia|Herb.
  |Mesochloa|Raf.
  |Myostemma|Salisb.
  |Plectronema|Raf.
  |Pogonema|Raf.
  |Sceptranthes|Graham
  }}
}}
[[File:Zephyranthes sps.jpg|thumb|Diversity in ''Zephyranthes'']]
[[File:Zephyranthes phycelloides imported from iNaturalist photo 233030991 on 26 October 2023.jpg|thumb|''[[Zephyranthes phycelloides]]'']]
[[File:White rain lily flower (2006).jpg|thumb|''[[Zephyranthes candida]]'']]
[[File:A pair of beautiful rosepink zephyr lily or pink rain lily in full bloom - Zephyranthes carinata.jpg|thumb|''[[Zephyranthes carinata]]'' in [[Kalimpong]], India]]
[[File:Starr 021019-0003 Zephyranthes citrina.jpg|thumb|''[[Zephyranthes citrina]]'']]
[[File:Zephyranthes rosea.jpg|thumb|''[[Zephyranthes rosea]]'']]
[[File:Zephyr lily (yellow).JPG|thumb|Rain lilies in [[TNAU]] Botanic Garden]]

'''''Zephyranthes''''' {{IPAc-en|ˌ|z|ɛ|f|ᵻ|ˈ|r|æ|n|θ|iː|z}}<ref>''Sunset Western Garden Book'', 1995:606–607</ref> is a [[genus]] of temperate and tropical bulbous plants in the [[Amaryllidaceae|Amaryllis family]], subfamily [[Amaryllidoideae]],<ref>{{citation |last=Stevens |first=P.F.  |title=Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Amaryllidoideae |url=http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/orders/asparagalesweb.htm#AllAma }}</ref> native to the [[Americas]] and widely cultivated as ornamentals. Following the expansion of the genus in 2019, which now includes the genera ''Habranthus'' and ''Sprekelia'', there are about 200 recognized species,<ref name=POWO_330336-2/> as well as numerous [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrids]] and [[cultivar]]s. [[Common name]]s for species in this genus include '''fairy lily''', '''rainflower''', '''zephyr lily''', '''magic lily''', '''Atamasco lily''',  and '''rain lily'''.

The name is derived from [[Zephyrus|Ζέφυρος]] (''Zephyrus''), the Greek god of the west wind, and ἄνθος (''anthos''), meaning flower, referring to the slender stalks.<ref>[http://www.wordnik.com/words/Zephyranthes/etymologies Zephyranthes etymologies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305134541/http://www.wordnik.com/words/Zephyranthes/etymologies |date=2016-03-05 }}, Wordnik, accessed February 23, 2010, citing [[Century Dictionary]]</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Zephyranthes candida Herb. capsule fruit.jpg|thumb|right|''Zephyranthes candida'' capsule fruit]]
Species in the genus vary in [[morphology (biology)|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 [[Zephyranthes candida|''Z.&nbsp;candida'']] to rather broad glaucous colored foliage such as found in ''Z.&nbsp;drummondii''. A few of the species have distinct bronze tints in the foliage when grown in bright light. Leaf types range from dark green and tiny grassy leaves in species like ''Z.&nbsp;jonesi'' or ''Z.&nbsp;longifolia'', to broader, glaucous leaves in species like ''Z.&nbsp;drummondii.'' Perhaps the largest leaves of all are found on ''Z.&nbsp;lindleyana'' from [[Mexico]], usually distributed as a [[cultivar]] called 'Horsetail Falls'; this species has handsome broad leaves almost like a ''[[Hippeastrum]]''.

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 [[flower]]s with six [[petal]]s can be crocus shaped, but may also open flat such as in ''Z.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;drummondii''  (white), ''Z.&nbsp;morrisclintae'' (pink) and ''Z.&nbsp;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 name]]s, 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.<ref>Marta, F. 2005. Breeding of Rainlilies. Bulbs: Bulletin of the International Bulb Society. 7(1)[January–June]:25–32.</ref>

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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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 as ''Z.&nbsp;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.

==Taxonomy==
The genus ''Zephyranthes'' was first described by [[William Herbert (botanist)|William Herbert]] in 1821. The [[Type (biology)|type]] is ''[[Zephyranthes atamasca]]'',<ref name="IPNI_330336-2">{{cite web |title=((''Zephyranthes'' Herb.)) |work=[[International Plant Names Index|The International Plant Names Index]] |url=https://www.ipni.org/n/330336-2 |access-date=2021-12-30 }}</ref> a [[conserved name|conserved type]] under the [[International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants]].<ref name="GRIN 42222">{{GRIN | ''Zephyranthes atamasca'' | 42222 | access-date=2021-12-30 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Search for 'Zephyranthes' in 'Code Appendices' |url=http://www.botany.si.edu/references/codes/props/index.cfm |website=Proposals and Disposals |publisher=Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History |access-date=2021-12-30}}</ref> ''Zephyranthes'' is placed in the subfamily [[Amaryllidoideae]], which some specialists prefer to treat as the family Amaryllidaceae ''sensu stricto''. The division of the genera of the subfamily into tribes has varied, but from the 1980s onwards, ''Zephyranthes'' has usually been placed in the tribe [[Hippeastreae]].<ref name=MeerFayGuyLi99>{{Cite journal |last1=Meerow |first1=Alan W. |last2=Fay |first2=Michael F. |last3=Guy |first3=Charles L |last4=Li |first4=Qin-Bao |last5=Zaman |first5=Faridah Q |last6=Chase |first6=Mark W. |date=1999 |title=Systematics of Amaryllidaceae based on cladistic analysis of plastid sequence data |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=86 |issue=9 |pages=1325–1345 |doi=10.2307/2656780 |jstor=2656780 |pmid=10487820 |name-list-style=amp }} Table 1, p. 1327.</ref> [[Molecular phylogenetics|Molecular phylogenetic]] studies from 2000 onwards showed that although Hippeastreae was [[Monophyly|monophyletic]], many of the genera placed in the tribe were not; in particular, ''Habranthus'', ''Zephyranthes'' and ''Sprekelia'' formed a complex in which traditionally placed species were intermingled. Accordingly, in 2019, a broad [[Circumscription (taxonomy)|circumscription]] of ''Zephyranthes'' was proposed, including the former genera ''[[Habranthus]]'' and ''[[Sprekelia]]'' as well as some smaller genera.<ref name=Garcia>{{cite journal |last1=García |first1=Nicolás |last2=Meerow |first2=Alan W. |last3=Arroyo-Leuenberger |first3=Silvia |last4=Oliveira |first4=Renata S. |last5=Dutilh |first5=Julie H.|last6=Soltis |first6=Pamela S. |last7=Judd |first7=Walter S. |author-mask1=|title=Generic classification of Amaryllidaceae tribe Hippeastreae |journal=[[Taxon (journal)|Taxon]] |date=June 2019 |volume=68 |issue=3 |pages=481–498 |doi=10.1002/tax.12062|s2cid=202854432 }}{{link note|note=With [https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12208 corrections] published 2020}}</ref> This proposal has been accepted by [[Plants of the World Online]],<ref name=POWO_330336-2/> among other taxonomic databases.

Under this system of classification, ''Zephyranthes'' <small>Herb.</small>, together with ''[[Hippeastrum]]'', is one of two genera in Hippeastrae, subtribe [[Hippeastrinae]], and is treated as consisting of 5 subgenera (number of species):<ref name=Garcia/>
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Eithea|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Eithea'']] <small>(Ravenna) Nic.García</small> (2)
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Zephyranthes|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Zephyranthes'']] (~150)
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Habranthus|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Habranthus'']]  <small>(Herb.) Nic.García</small> (3)
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Neorhodophiala|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Neorhodophiala'']] <small>Nic.García & Meerow</small> (1)
* [[Zephyranthes subg. Myostemma|''Zephyranthes'' subg. ''Myostemma'']] <small>(Salisb.) Nic.García</small> (17)

=== Species ===
{{main|List of Zephyranthes species}}
There are about 170 species, nearly all of which are in subgenus ''Zephyranthes''.

== Distribution and habitat ==
It is native to tropical and subtropical America. It has been introduced to Africa, Asia, and Australia.<ref name=POWO_330336-2 /> These perennial bulbs ([[geophyte]]s) tolerate many ecological niches (periodically wet soil to desert conditions).{{cn|date=February 2025}}

== Cultivation ==

Currently these plants are commonly cultivated in [[US Department of Agriculture]] [[hardiness zone]]s 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. [[Elizabeth Lawrence (writer)|Elizabeth Lawrence]], in her classic ''A Southern Garden'' (1942), writes with enthusiasm about pink rain lily, ''Z.&nbsp;grandiflora'' (=''[[Zephyranthes carinata|Z.&nbsp;carinata]]''):

<blockquote>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 {{convert|3|in|mm|round=5|spell=in|disp=sqbr}} long, on {{convert|10|in|mm|sigfig=2|spell=in|disp=sqbr|adj=on}} 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.</blockquote>

=== Breeding ===
Breeding with these species has some inherent difficulties summarized by Roy Chowdhury (2006) as ranging from [[Parthenogenesis|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.<ref>RoyChowdhury, M. and J. Hubstenberger. 2006. Evaluation of cross pollination of Zephyranthes and Habranthus species and hybrids. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science. 60:113–118.</ref> 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.

== Toxicity ==
Many parts of the plant including the leaves and bulbs are considered to be toxic. The genus has been evaluated for possible medicinal properties, and the biochemically toxic compounds are classed as [[alkaloid]]s.<ref>Kojima et al. 1997.{{full citation needed|date=June 2022}}</ref>

==Uses==
Parts of ''Zephyranthes'', such as bulbs and leaves, are used in [[traditional medicine]]. In Peru, ''[[Zephyranthes andina|Z.&nbsp;andina]]'' (syn. ''Z.&nbsp;parvula'') was used for tumors. In China, ''[[Zephyranthes rosea|Z.&nbsp;rosea]]'' was used for breast cancer and in [[Africa]] the leaves of ''Z.&nbsp;candida'' were used for [[diabetes mellitus]]. It was used for simple problems from head ache, cough, cold, and boils to very complicated diseases such as [[breast  cancer]], [[tuberculosis]], [[rheumatism]], [[tumors]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.longdom.org/open-access/phytochemistry-and-pharmacology-of-genus-zephyranthes-2167-0412-1000212.pdf|title=Katoch D and Singh B, Med Aromat Plants}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of plants known as lily]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal|last1=Felix|first1=W. J. P.|last2=Felix|first2=L. P.|last3=Melo|first3=N. F.|last4=Oliveira|first4=M. B. M.|last5=Dutilh|first5=J. H. A.|last6=Carvalho|first6=R.|title=Karyotype variability in species of the genus Zephyranthes Herb. (Amaryllidaceae–Hippeastreae)|journal=[[Plant Systematics and Evolution]]|date=28 May 2011|volume=294|issue=3–4|pages=263–271|doi=10.1007/s00606-011-0467-6|doi-access=free|bibcode=2011PSyEv.294..263F }}
* Fellers, J. H. 1996.  A Passion for Rainlilies: Cooperia, Habranthus and Zephyranthes. Herbertia 51:78–112.
* Kapoor, B.M. and S. I. Tandon 1963. Contribution to the cytology of endosperm in some angiosperms IV: ''Zephyranthes grandiflora'' Lindl.. Genentica 34:1:101–112.
* Rainia, N.S. and TN Khoshhoo. 1971. Cytogenetics of Tropical Bulbous Ornamentals IX: Breeding system in Zephytanthes. Euphytica. 21:317–323.
* Soule, J. A. 2005. "Z" is for ''Zephyranthes''. Explorer Newspaper (Tucson, Arizona) 24 August 2005.

== External links ==
{{Americana Poster|Zephyranthes}}

*{{Commons category inline|2=''Zephyranthes''}}
*{{Wikispecies inline|''Zephyranthes''}}
* [http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Zephyranthes/Zephyrantheslist.shtml Bulbsociety]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051126164351/http://www.floridagardener.com/pom/zephyranthes.htm Florida Gardener]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q191364}}

[[Category:Zephyranthes| ]]
[[Category:Amaryllidaceae genera]]
[[Category:Taxa named by William Herbert (botanist)]]