ZEPHYR AN'THES ATAMAS'CO. 
ATAMASCO LILY. 
Order. 
MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
AMA RYLLI DE2E . 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Cultivated 
N. America. 
8 inches. 
June, July. 
Perennial. 
in 1629. 
No. 285. 
Though the term Zephyranthes, which appears to 
mean west- wind flower, originated with our country- 
man, Mr. Herbert, we confess ourselves unable to 
state how it is intended to apply to our present sub- 
ject. Atamasco, may be presumed to apply to its 
American habitat. 
This plant formerly belonged to the magnificent 
genus, Amaryllis, but was disunited partly on account 
of its always presuming to erect its head ; it being 
required that every legitimate sister of that family 
should pay due homage to the goddess Flora, by nod - 
ding or bending the head, when flowering amongst 
the beauties of her court. 
The genus Amaryllis is now very extensive, so 
that a division of it may be considered admissible on 
smaller distinctions than would otherwise appear ex- 
pedient. But if our more sedate readers think the 
preceding reasons for such division merely whimsi- 
cal, we must seriously tell them that the declination, 
or nodding of the flowers of Amaryllis, is one amongst 
its distinguishing characters ; and which they will 
see, by our figure, is a courtesy, very uncourteously 
neglected by the Zephyranthes. 
72 
Class. 
HEX AN DR1A. 
