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GENUS PROFILE Alberto Grossi Alberto Hymenocallis

HEN MY Hymenocallis . In 1812, botanist Richard littoralis flowered for the and other A Salisbury named a new Wfirst time I was so proud Hymenocallis, noting a few differences that I called a few friends to ask them spider lilies between it and : ‘The fruit to visit me. I told them to come in of this genus differs exceedingly from the evening as this is when its scent that of Pancratium, in having only two is greatest. As soon as they saw it seeds in each cell, which swell to a they were astonished by the hand- considerable size, like , and I some foliage and intoxicating scent. have named it Hymenocallis, from the ‘But they look all alike!’, one told me. beautiful membrane which connects I explained that every of the filaments.’ He transferred Hymenocallis differs in the length of Pancratium littorale and a few other the , in the shape of the corona, species into the new genus. and in its scent. But he was right; at first glance they are all alike. Characteristics of the genera

One could say that they look like Grossi Alberto Hymenocallis is part of the tribe the sea lilies, Pancratium, of the Old Hymenocallis eucharidifolia (top) and in the , World, and H. littoralis shares with (above) along with the genera and the same (Meerow et al. 2002). habitat of sandy shorelines. Indeed, ALBERTO GROSSI Some authorities regard the latter Nicolai Josephi Jacquin in Selectarum surveys a group of two genera to be part of Hymenocallis. Stirpium Americanarum Historia (1763) Most species have ‘pancratioid’ floral described this species for the first three related genera; morphology: a large, fragrant, time as P. littorale and he mentioned Hymenocallis, Ismene crateriform flower with a staminal that it thrived on the beaches of the cup, adapted for sphingid moth Isla Tierra Bomba, , in the and Leptochiton pollination.

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PlantsmanThe Alberto Grossi Alberto Grossi Alberto , one of the tropical, evergreen species , under this name are often H. ‘Tropical Giant’

The three genera have bulbs that tube bearing six elongated segments Speciosa alliance are roundish or oblong, covered in a that are usually white, occasionally Only a handful of species belong to tunic, and producing thick whitish yellow or greenish. The basal part of this alliance, they are tropical in origin roots. The is up to 15cm across the stamens is fused to form the with evergreen, petiolate, broad leaves. in larger species of Hymenocallis but corona or staminal cup that is funnel- Hymenocallis speciosa and H. tubiflora smaller in Ismene and Leptochiton. shaped or rotate. The stamens are are the most widely grown. The leaves Most produce offsets but a few species more or less straight but in Ismene are about 60cm long; in H. speciosa are rhizomatous. Ismene and they are incurved. The seeds are large, the blade is lanceolate, in H. tubiflora Leptochiton are deciduous, but oblong and green. the is very long and the blade Hymenocallis from tropical habitats A lot of species are fragrant, mainly is almost cordate. They flower in are evergreen whereas those from in the evening or night to attract autumn or winter with me and need arid areas are deciduous. The leaves sphingid moths. The scent is sweet, high temperatures (at least 15°C at vary in number and length and are like that of Mirabilis jalapa, or spicy. night) and moisture all year long. usually distichously arranged but Each flower lasts one or two days. The compost has to be rich with H. eucharidifolia has a rosette arrange- good drainage and they are best ment. They range from 5-7mm Hymenocallis grown in shade. They offset freely. wide, sessile, linear and glaucous in Hymenocallis contains about 70 species, H. graminifolia to 15cm wide, distributed across the southeastern Caribaea alliance petioled, lanceolate and bright green , , Central The members of this alliance are in H. speciosa. In Ismene the leaf base America, the and north- tropical and subtropical species with forms a pseudostem up to 50cm tall. ern . Mexico is home evergreen, sessile, broad, oblong The flowers, one or more, are held to the greatest number of species leaves. Hymenocallis caribaea is the on long stems emerging from the with a secondary area of diversity in most widely grown of this group, it inner leaves. The stems are usually the US. Only three species are ende- flowers in summer and offsets freely. compressed, 2-edged and solid. They mic to South America (H. littoralis, It is best grown in full or half sun, may be produced at the beginning of H. pedalis and H. tubiflora). The and kept moist when growing but a the growing season, along with the species have been grouped into six little drier in winter when a temp- leaves, or later. The flowers have a alliances based on morphological erature above 15°C is required. greenish, funnel- or salver-shaped characters by Traub (1962). What is commonly sold or ➤

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GENUS PROFILE Alberto Grossi Andrea Jones Andrea Ismene longipetala, a species that passes on its curling tepals to hybrid progeny Hymenocallis ‘Tropical Giant’, an old, sterile cultivar

often grown in botanical gardens as in mid summer. It needs a very wet stem bears two, rarely three, flowers H. caribaea is H. ‘Tropical Giant’, an sandy compost and warmth all year with pale green tepals and a white old cultivar of possible hybrid origin. round to grow well. corona. is similar This cultivar has glossy, sword-shaped, is similar but but has one single-flowered scape. arching leaves and in midsummer is more tolerant of dry periods as it is each stout stem bears 12 or more found on river banks that are dry for Mexicana alliance highly scented flowers. Hymenocallis part of the year. Hymenocallis riparia Species in this alliance are native to caribaea is smaller in all its parts and is deciduous. Mexico. They are deciduous with has more erect, rigid leaves, also, the broadly elliptic or elliptic-lorate leaves. tepals are held in one plane whereas Caroliniana alliance They can cope with a very dry rest those of ‘Tropical Giant’ are more The species of this alliance are dist- period and begin to grow and flower obviously borne in two planes. The ributed throughout the southeastern with the late spring rains. cultivar does not normally set seed United States, usually in seasonally The commonest in cultivation is but I sometimes get a few set when I inundated habitats. They are H. harrisiana which has a flower stem cross it with other Hymenocallis species. deciduous and the leaves are linear, of about 25–30cm normally bearing The luxurious foliage and vigour of linear-lorate or ensiform and shortly four flowers. It is hardy to USDA ‘Tropical Giant’ makes it one of my narrowed to the obtuse apex. Zone 7 if kept dry during the rest favourites in the tropical landscape. Flowering in spring and summer, period. Distinguished by its rosette- is another none are common in cultivation but like leaf arrangement, H. eucharidi- favourite, often grown in the sandy those most likely to be encountered folia, first introduced in 1884, has beach gardens of the Gulf of Mexico. are H. caroliniana, H. coronaria, been reintroduced in the last decade. It is a large with erect, strap- H. galvestonensis and H. rotata. They shaped leaves and the small cupped need warm, wet conditions during Leptochiton flowers are vanilla-scented and open the growing season with a little This genus has only two species, at the beginning of the summer. moisture when dormant. L. helianthus and L. quitoensis, and is native to southwest and Littoralis alliance Henryae alliance northwest at low elevations. It Hymenocallis littoralis has evergreen, is known from shares with Hymenocallis the absence linear, leathery leaves and it flowers scattered localities in . Each of a pseudostem but it differs in

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PlantsmanThe

having black rather than green seeds. rewatered after the medium has exceeds the long leaves which are 90 The flowers are yellow in L. helianthus completely dried up. In autumn, x 3–5cm. The flowers are semi- and white in L. quitoensis. Both are after the leaves have yellowed and transparent, white, with a long rare in cultivation. shrivelled, they need to experience funnelform , greenish at the an absolutely dry winter. base. The narrow curly tepals are Ismene When grown in a container, three about 10cm long and the corona is This genus is characterised by the bulbs in a 20cm pot is ideal. If lifted about 3cm in diameter. This species presence of a pseudostem, consisting from a border before winter you has been involved in a lot of hybrids. of leaf bases forming a sheathing should avoid damaging the large Ismene x festalis (I. calathina x I. longi- neck. From this emerges a flattened roots and store them in sand in a petala) was first created by the stalk bearing several flowers. All cool place. English bulb fancier Arthington species are deciduous and the genus Another interesting hybrid, but Worsley. Ismene ‘Advance’ is a hybrid has been split into three subgenera. rare in cultivation, is Hymenocallis x between I. x festalis and I. narcissiflora. Ismene ‘Daphne’ (H. speciosa x Ismene ‘Zwanenburg’ is a vigorous Subgenus Ismene I. narcissiflora), raised by Van selection of I. x festalis. Ismene Native to the central Andes of South Tubergen nurseries before 1900. ‘Ballerina’ and Ismene ‘Dancing Dolls’ America, the 5–7 species have white It combines the large corona of were raised by Len Woelfle by or yellow, actinomorphic, fragrant, Ismene with the elegant scented crossing I. amancaes and I. longipetala. ‘pancratioid’ flowers. flowers of H. speciosa. It is evergreen These hybrids inherit the curling Ismene narcissiflora comes from rocky but the foliage is more like that of petals of I. longipetala and, depending places in Peru at about 2,500m. The I. narcissiflora with long narrow leaves on the parent, either the scent of leaves are erect, 50–60 cm long and and a constriction at the base as in I. narcissiflora or the yellow tinges 5cm wide. The green tube bears H. speciosa. It is a tender cultivar and of I. amancaes. They need the same white tepals and the staminal cup is needs subtropical conditions. cultural care as I. narcissiflora. striped green and about 5cm in diameter. is smaller Subgenus Elisena Subgenus Pseudostenomesson with yellow, scented flowers. In this subgenus the flowers are The 2 species of this subgenus, In 1821 bulb specialist William zygomorphic and not fragrant. The I. morrisonii and I. vargasii, are endemic Herbert made a cross between 2–4 species come from mid to high to Peru from elevations of around I. amancaes (seed parent) and elevations in Peru and Ecuador.. 3,000 m. They have funnelform- I. narcissiflora, subsequently named In I. longipetala the flowering stem tubular, actinomorphic, ➤ I. x spofforthiae after his estate in England. The hybrid inherited the colour of the former and the vigour and the ease of care of the latter. Van Tubergen of the Dutch bulb company repeated the same cross in the 20th century and called the clone ‘Sulphur Queen’. In the 1960s, hybridiser Len Woelfle named a series of cultivars from the same cross, giving them Greek names: ‘Icon’, ‘Helios’ and ‘Pax’, the latter being the finest with bicoloured flowers of white with yellow tinges. All require a very light sandy soil, particularly sandy for I. amancaes. Usually they begin their growth in late spring, at which point they need

to be watered and fertilised. Ismene Grossi Alberto / Photoshot Horticultural Photos amancaes in particular should only be Ismene x festalis, noted for its large corona Ismene x spofforthiae ‘Sulphur Queen’

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GENUS PROFILE

more seeds that ripen two to three weeks after pollination. They vary in shape and size according to the species, anything from 1–3.5cm in length and they can be ovoid or globular, and pale yellow-green to dull blue-green. They may germinate when still attached to the mother plant. I have just received seeds of H. cleo and I have noticed that about half have two germination points, with two white radicles. Polyembry- ony appears to be a frequent phenomenon with Hymenocallis (Newton 1985). Fresh seed should be sown in a sandy compost and half-covered with grit. Keep them moist and germination will usually happen in a few weeks, although occasionally I Alberto Grossi Alberto have had seeds germinating the The green seeds of Hymenocallis speciosa are typical of the genus following year. After the radicle has unscented, pendulous flowers. They and can tolerate a little frost if kept extended 2–3 cm it swells to form a are not common in cultivation. dry. In summer Ismene should not be little bulb from which roots and allowed to get too hot, otherwise the leaves develop. In the deciduous Cultivation bulbs split into smaller bulbs which species, withering of the leaves Compost for growing spider lilies inhibits flowering.When grown in indicates that the new bulbs are needs to be well-drained. I use equal containers they need to be frost-free. going to rest. Then they can be parts sand, grit and rich loam. Species The tropical species of Hymenocallis treated as mature bulbs. of the Caroliniana and Henryae (Speciosa and Caribaea alliances) alliances need an acid soil. I prefer require warmth all year round with a ALBERTO GROSSI is a physician clay pots, as it is easier to dry them minimum of 15°C in winter by night. with an interest in Amaryllidaceae. He out if you overwater, but plastic pots Members of the Littoralis alliance, is the Italian representative of the will work for experienced growers. although evergreen, can winter at a International Bulb Society Deciduous species begin to sprout lower temperature, while deciduous late in the spring: wait until the leaves species of the other alliances can emerge before watering. Evergreen stand in their pots at 5–8°C in REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY species have to be kept moist and winter, if completely dry. All species Meerow, AW, Guy, CL, Li, Q & warm all year around, only reducing need full sun, other than those of the Claiton, JR (2002) Phylogeny of the watering in winter when they have a Speciosa and Caribaea alliances and tribe Hymenocallideae (Amaryllidaceae) rest period. The evergreen and H. eucharidifolia, that prefer a shaded based on morphology and molecular water-loving species may be grown but bright position. characters. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. during summer with the pots sitting 89 (3): 400–413 Newton, G (1985) Hymenocallis from in a saucer of water. I grow H. littoralis Propagation seed. Herbertia 41: 83–85 with the pots completely immersed Multiplying spider lilies from offsets Preuss, KD (2003) Spider lilies for in water in summer. For the or seed is easy. Bulb offsets can be the South. Bulbs 4(2): 27–31 deciduous species I let the soil dry detached from the mother-bulb when Sleznick, Jr, J (1996) Hymenocallis out a bit before watering again. I dormant and potted on. ‘Sulphur Queen’. Herbertia 51: 126 feed them every fortnight with a For all species, growing from seed Traub, HP (1962) Key to the fertiliser rich in potassium. is a good way to produce new plants. subgenera, alliances and species of Hymenocallis. Plant Life 18: 55–72 Ismene are hardier than Hymenocallis Each capsule may contains one or

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