Hymenocallis littoralis
Introduction '''''Hymenocallis littoralis''''', commonly known as the '''beach spider lily''', is a species of plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae. It is native to warmer coastal regions of Latin America and a widely cultivated and naturalized plant in many tropical countries.
Etymology ''Hymenocallis'' is derived from Greek and means 'membraned beauty', a reference to its filament cup. ''Littoralis'' means 'growing by the seashore'.
Description ''Hymenocallis littoralis'' is a bulbous perennial herb. It ranges in height from 60–70 cm (24-28 inches). The bulb is 7–10 cm (3-4 inches) in diameter. With age, the bulb develops a neck that reaches 4–5 cm in diameter (up to 2 inches). The flowers are large, white, vanilla scented, and sessile. The tepals are adnate (attached to) the staminal cup. Each flower's tube is 14 to 17 cm (5 to 7 inches) long or longer.
Distribution ''Hymenocallis littoralis'' is regarded as native to Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. It is considered naturalized in Angola, the Bismarck Archipelago, Cape Verde, the Caroline Islands, the Central African Republic, the Chagos Archipelago, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, French Guiana, The Gambia, the Gilbert Islands, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, the Gulf of Guinea Islands, Hawaii, India, Java, the Line Islands, Marianas, Marquesas, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Nauru, Niue, Ogasawara-shoto, the Philippines, Samoa, the Seychelles, the Society Islands, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tonga, Wake Island, Malaysia, Zaire and Zambia.
Horticulture ''Hymenocallis littoralis'' is often grown as an ornamental. It requires sunlight to partial shade for proper growth and blooms from mid-summer to late autumn with white flowers. It may be grown aquatically. ''Hymenocallis littoralis'' is included in the Tasmanian Fire Service's list of low flammability plants, indicating that it is suitable for growing within a building protection zone.
References
External links *  Pacific Bulb Society*  USDA Profile*  IPNI Listing