2008 



ZEPHYRANTHES 



The latest revision of Zephyranthes is found in Baker's 

 Handbook of the Amaryllideee, 1888, where the follow- 

 ing subgenera are made: 



Subgenus Zephyranthes Proper. Flower erect; 

 tube short; stamens inserted near its throat. (Eighteen 

 species, including all described below except No. 11.) 



3788. Zenobia speciosa (X Vi). (See page 2007.) 



Subgenus Zephyrites. Flower slightly inclined; 

 tube short; stamens inserted near its throat; style 

 more declinate than in the other two subgenera. 

 (Eleven species, including No. 11 below.) 



Subgenus Pyrolirion. Flowers erect; tube longer, 

 dilated in the upper half; stamens inserted at the mid- 

 dle of the perianth-tube. (Five species, none in cult.) 



For the further separation of the species Baker uses 

 the characters which appear in the key below, except 

 the foliage characters and the color of the flowers. 

 However, the genus may be readily separated into three 

 sections based upon the color of the fls., and this ar- 

 rangement is here used as being more convenient to the 

 horticulturist, The seasons of bloom indicated below 

 are those for localities where the plants will thrive out- 

 doors the year round. 



The Zephyr Lilies must be wintered in a place free 

 from frost, and as the best kinds are natives of swampy 

 places it is fair to presume that they will need more 

 moisture during the resting period than the generality 

 of bulbous plants. The four best species are: Z. Can- 

 dida, white, autumn; Z. Atamaseo, white, spring; Z. 

 earinata, rosy, summer; Z. rosea , autumn. All of these 

 will probably survive the winter out of doors in our 

 middle states if given a fair degree of protection. 



Z. Candida deserves special notice. William Watson, 

 of Kew, England, writes in Gn. 37, p. 174: "The most 

 satisfactory of all is Z. Candida. This species differs 

 from all others known to us in several particulars, the 

 chief being its hardiness and ease of management under 

 ordinary cultivation in a sunny border out of doors. We 

 have tried almost all the other species of Zephyranthes 

 with this treatment, but they every one failed, whilst 

 Z. Candida flourished and multiplied rapidly, until we 

 now have a border filled with it. This border is against 

 the south wall of a greenhouse and it is always moist. 

 The soil is ordinary loam, in which the bulbs were 

 planted about 4 inches apart. They have each since 

 become crowded tufts, their eaves completely hiding 

 the soil. This border was as gay with the flowers of 

 Zephyranthes last autumn as any border of croctises in 

 spring. On very sunny days the flowers opened quite 

 flat, and glistened like snow in the sunshine. Another 

 character which distinguishes this species from the 



ZEPHYRANTHES 



others is its evergreen foliage." It is said that the river 

 La Plata was so called (the name meaning "silver") 

 because of the profusion of these white flowers on its 

 shore. 



INDEX. 



Andersoni, 11. ' erubeseens, 3. rosea. S. 



Atamaseo, 1. grandiflora, 6. Texana. 10. 



Candida, 5. Lindleyana, 7. Treatiw. 2. 



earinata, 6. longifolia, 9. verecunda 4. 



A. Fls. white, often tinged rose 5ut- 

 side. 

 B. Stigma S-lobed. 

 c. Ovary stalked. 



D. Perianth 3 in. long. 



E. Lvs. channeled, bright 

 green, shining, with 



acute margins 1. Atamaseo 



EE. Zivs. thick, semi -terete, 

 deep green, not shining, 

 with rounded margins... 2. Treatiffl 



dd. Perianth 2 in. long 3. erubeseens 



cc. Ovary sessile 4. verecunda 



bb. Stigma capitate, obscurely 3- 



lobed 5. Candida 



AA. Fls. bright rose-colored. 



b. Perianth 2Vi.S in. long 6. earinata 



bb. Perianth l%-"2 in. long 7. Lindleyana 



BBB. Perianth about 1 in. long 8. rosea 



AAA. Fls. yellow, often reddish outside. 

 B. Style slightly declinate. 

 C. Pedi'cel much shorter than 



spathe 9. longifolia 



cc. Pedicel much longer than 



spathe 10. Texana 



bb. Style strongly declinate 11. Andersoni 



1. Atamaseo, Herb. (Amaryllis Atamdsco, Linn.). 

 Atamasco Lily. Fig. 2789, 2790. Most popular and larg- 

 est of the spring-blooming white-fld. species; the com- 

 monest Zephyr Lily native to the U. S. Bulb short- 

 necked, less than 1 in. thick: lvs. 4-6, linear: scape 6-12 



2789. Atamasco Lily — Zephyranthes Atamaseo (X K). 



in. high : fls. pure white, about 3 in. long. March-June. 

 Va. to Fla. and Ala. B.B. 1:444. B.M. 239. L.B.C. 

 19:1899. Gn. 24, p. 199; 37, p. 155. 



2. Treatise, Wats. Closely allied to Z. Atamasco 

 and best distinguished by the lvs. as indicated in the 



