Spider Lilies

Hymenocallis (US) or (UK) is a genus of flowering plants in the Amaryllidaceae family native to the Americas. Hymenocallis contains more than 60 species of herbaceous, bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America.

Some species are cultivated as ornamentals in warm nations around the globe, and a few have become naturalized in parts of Africa and on various tropical islands. Many of the species from the Caribbean and from the southeastern United States inhabit wet areas such as marshes, streambanks, and seashores. Some species even have floating seeds. Some of the Mexican species, in contrast, grow on grassy slopes in hills and mountains.

The flower stalks arise from basal rosettes of strap-shaped leaves. The terminal clusters of fragrant flowers are green, white or yellow, and can be large and spectacular. The genus name is derived from the Greek words ὑμήν (hymen), meaning 'membrane', and καλός (kalos), meaning 'beautiful'. It refers to the membranous tissue connecting the basal part of the stamens which forms shallow cup. The effect is of a spidery daffodil or lily, thus explaining the common name spider lily.