Spider Lily
Hymenocallis sp.
17.9468, -87.9444
Field Notes
Description:
These lovely spider lilies, herbaceous bulbous perennials, really do look spidery, due to the long, strap-like petals drooping from the shallow cup of the flower. It's not a typical flower construction because the cup is formed by a membrane stretched between the fused stamens. It's almost see-through, which is the source of the genus name, hymenocallis, with hymen meaning membrane, and callis derived from the Greek word for beautiful.
Habitat:
It was growing in a marshy spot beside a pond.
Notes:
Since there are 60 species native to the New World, I'm not going to put a firm name to it, although I suspect it is H. littoralis
Reference Links:
Hymenocallis
Species ID Suggestions
Spotted for Missions
Photographed
PublishedFebruary 18, 2016
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