Hymenocallis occidentalis
Enum. Pl. 5: 856. 1850.
Bulb nonrhizomatous, globose, 3.5–5.5 × 3–4.5 cm; basal plate 1–3 cm; neck 1.5–4 cm; tunic dark brown. Leaves deciduous, 5–12, arching to suberect, 3.5–6 dm × 2–6 cm, noncoriaceous; blade oblanceolate, shallowly channeled, distinctly wider beyond middle, tapering to petiolelike base, glaucous when young, apex subacute to acute. Scape (4–)5–7 dm, 2-edged, glaucous; scape bracts 2, enclosing buds, 4–7 × 1–1.5 cm, apex long-acuminate; subtending floral bracts 2.5–4.5 cm × 5–10 mm. Flowers 3–9, opening sequentially, with heavy, sweet fragrance; perianth tube green, slender, 7–13.5 cm; tepals slightly ascending, white, green-striped on keel, (7–) 8.5–11.5 cm × 5–10 mm; corona white with small, yellowish green eye, funnelform, shortly tubulose proximally, 2.5–4(–4.5) × 4–5.5 cm, margins between free portions of filaments often irregularly 3-dentate; free portions of filaments inserted on flat sinal base, nearly erect, white, 2.5–4 cm; anthers 1.3–2 cm, pollen golden; ovary ovoid, 0.8–1.5 cm × 4–7 mm, ovules 2–3 per locule; style green in distal 1/3, fading into white proximally, 13–23 cm. Capsules broadly triangular to subglobose, ca. 2.5 × 2 cm. Seeds subglobose, 1.5–2.1 × 1.2–1.6 cm.
Distribution
North America.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Leaves fresh at anthesis. | Hymenocallis occidentalis var. occidentalis |
| 1 | Leaves withering before anthesis. | Hymenocallis occidentalis var. eulae |