Hymenocallis crassifolia

Herbert

Appendix, 44. 1821.

Common names: Coastal Carolina spider-lily
Endemic
Synonyms: Hymenocallis palusvirensis Traub Pancratium crassifolium (Herbert) Schultes
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 288. Mentioned on page 285, 289, 290.

Bulb rhizomatous, narrowly ovoid, 2–5 × 1.5–3 cm; basal plate 1–2.5 cm; neck 3–9 cm; tunic light gray. Leaves deciduous, 3–5, nearly erect, (2.4–) 3.5–6.8 dm × 1–2.5 cm, coriaceous; blade shiny green, liguliform, channeled in proximal 1/2, apex acute. Scape 3–5 dm, 2-edged, glaucous; scape bracts 2, enclosing buds, 2.5–5 cm × 7–12 mm; subtending floral bracts 2–3 cm × ca. 5 mm. Flowers 2–3, opening sequentially, fragrant; perianth-tube green, 5–8 (–10) cm; tepals slightly ascending, white, tinged green on keel, especially at base, (6–) 7–9 (–11.5) cm × 3–6 mm; corona white with small green eye, funnelform at full anthesis, then gradually spreading, shortly tubulose proximally, (2–) 2.5–3.5 × 3.5–4.5 cm (unbroken on herbarium sheets), margins between free portions of filaments irregularly dentate, projections not prominent; free portions of filaments inserted on flat sinal base, suberect, white, 1.5–3 cm; anthers 1–2 cm, pollen golden; ovary green, ovoid, 0.8–1.5 cm × ca. 5 mm, ovules 2–3 per locule; style green in distal 1/2, rapidly fading to white proximally, (10–) 13–18 cm. Capsules subglobose, 2–3 × 2–3 cm. Seeds elongate, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 cm. 2n = 40.


Phenology: Flowering mid–late spring.
Habitat: Ditches, margins of streams and rivers, bogs, brackish marshes, alluvial woods
Elevation: 0 m

Discussion

Hymenocallis crassifolia was described from a collection made near St. Mary, Georgia, by Herbert. The type specimen appears to have been lost for some time. However, collections that have been made from the nearby Satilla River fit the description well, as do other collections made from wetlands in the outer Coastal Plain of the Carolinas.

This species is distinguished in the field by coriaceous, liguliform leaves that are nearly erect throughout their length. The staminal corona is funnelform but gradually spreads with age, and the margin of the cup has small, irregular dentations.

Hymenocallis crassifolia is difficult to distinguish on herbarium sheets from the closely allied H. duvalensis. They are separated by distribution and habitat, and it is sometimes apparent on the herbarium sheets that H. crassifolia tends to have a more slender perianth tube, smaller funnelform corona, bracts that are not noticeably long-acuminate, and often a less elongated bulb neck.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broad" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Hymenocallis crassifolia"
cordate +  and linear +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Gerald L. Smith +  and Walter S. Flory† +
Herbert +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br /> (11.5 cm115 mm <br />0.115 m <br />) +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
dilated +
3mm;6mm +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
lacerate +  and dentate +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
reticulate-veined +  and parallel-veined +
channeled +  and liguliform +
sheathing +  and involucrate +
subtending +
lanceolate;lanceolate;ovate;lanceolate;ovate;triangular +
rhizomatous +
2cm +  and 5cm +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
subglobose +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Coastal Carolina spider-lily +
Fla. +, Ga. +, N.C. +  and S.C. +
small green +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
connate-coroniform +  and dilated +
fragrant +
diverging +  and erect +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
starlike +
indehiscent +, septicidal +  and loculicidal +
subglobose +  and elongate +
Ditches, margins of streams and rivers, bogs, brackish marshes, alluvial woods +
bracteate +  and umbellate +
paired +, paniculate +  and racemose +
petiolate +  and sessile +
deciduous +
coriaceous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
zygomorphic +  and actinomorphic +
Flowering mid–late spring. +
erect +  and incurved +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
wind-distributed +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
1 +  and many +
elongate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +  and 1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +
staminodial +
3 +, 4 +  and 6 +
1 +  and several +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (13 cm130 mm <br />0.13 m <br />) +
rapidly fading +  and white +
3 +  and 1 +
filiform +
13 cm130 mm <br />0.13 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Hymenocallis palusvirensis +  and Pancratium crassifolium +
Hymenocallis crassifolia +
Hymenocallis +
species +
tinged green;white +
connate +  and distinct +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
3 +  and 2 +