The Amaryllis Family: Genus Zephyranthes


The genera Habranthus and Zephyranthes contain the plants we usually think of as "rain lilies". The wild species of Zephyranthes and Habranthus grow in the New World, from the Southern United States southward through Argentina.

Closely related to Zephyranthes and Habranthus is the genus Cooperia, which is submerged into Zephyranthes by some taxonomists. These genera are currently being studied using DNA. Marked revisions of the assignments of some of the species in these two genera can be expected.

Some species of Zephyranthes:


Zephyranthes lindleyana

Zephyranthes reginae

Habranthus robustus

Habranthus tubispathus texanus

Zephyranthes atamasca

Zephyranthes zegheri


Other Sources of Information

Bulbs for Warm Climates, Thad M. Howard, University of Texas Press, Austin (2001).
Bulbs, Revised Edition, John E. Bryan, Timber Press, Portland (2002).
Bulbs of North America, Jane McGary, Editor, Timber Press and North American Rock Garden Society, Portland (2001).
RHS Manual of Bulbs, John Bryan and Mark Griffiths, Eds., Timber Press, Portland (1995).

For a list of species names, see the Missouri Botanic Garden's Tropicos On-Line Database at http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html



Return to Amaryllis Family page     Return to Bulbs Home Page     Return to List of Genera

For information about this page, contact Jim Shields, jim@shieldsgardens.com



Visit the new Great Lakes bulbs group home page.
For information about this account, contact:
James E. Shields,
jim@shieldsgardens.com

Last revised: 30 September 2003

© Copyright 2003 by James E. Shields. All rights reserved.