Hymenocallis occidentalis

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:AMARYLLIDACEAE
Species:Hymenocallis occidentalis (Leconte) Kunth
Common Name:Woodland Spider Lily; Northern Spider Lily; Swamp Spider Lily
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:HYOCE
Plant Notes:Woodland Spider Lily is a native herbaceous perennial from a bulb in the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Woodland Spider Lily occurs in floodplain forests, on the banks of rivers and streams, and in upland mesic hardwood forests, sometimes a considerable distance from water. It is a perennial from a large globose bulb. There are no rhizomes. The plant produces 5-12 oblanceolate, glabrous and often glaucous, entire leaves. The leaves emerge in late winter or early spring and may or may not be present at flowering. The leaves are channeled and widest beyond the middle. Fragrant flowers are produced on a naked scape. The flower consists of a short tube and six white, linear, spreading tepals. The stamens are united into a showy funnel-form or rotate white corona with a small yellowish green “eye”. The portion of the corona between the stamens is toothed, usually with 3 teeth. The fruit is a leathery green capsule with 1-3 green, fleshy seed. Woodland Spider Lily has a long history of cultivation in Alabama and can often be seen in home landscapes. This is the most cold hardy of the Spider Lily species, and plants collected by Mary G. Henry near Evergreen, Alabama, have put on an annual display at the Henry Foundation’s garden in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania for over 40 years. Spider Lily species are very difficult to identify from herbarium specimens. When trying to identify one take note of the habitat, position and color of the leaves, shape and color of the corona, and presence or absence of rhizomes. Woodland Spider Lily is often available through nurseries or it can be grown from divisions or seed. It does well in most wet or moist soils in full or partial sun. The plants seem to attract Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers which will decimate the flowering scapes in minutes.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyAMARYLLIDACEAE - Amaryllis family
Genus Hymenocallis
Species Hymenocallis occidentalis (Leconte) Kunth - Woodland Spider Lily; Northern Spider Lily; Swamp Spider Lily

Citation

Citation Hymenocallis occidentalis (Leconte) Kunth, Enum. Pl. [Kunth] 5: 856. 1850.
Basionym: Pancratium occidentale Leconte 1836.
Type: USA: GEORGIA: Bartow Co.: Allatoona Creek, 24 Aug 1948, Duncan 8828 (neotype: GA). Neotypified by G. L. Smith & Garland, Taxon 52: 807. 2003.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Hymenocallis bidentata Hymenocallis bidentata Small, Man. S.E. Fl. 323, 1503. 1933. ALABAMA: Cullman Co.: St. Bernard, Oct 1920, Knapke s.n. (holotype: NY?).
Hymenocallis moldenkiana Hymenocallis moldenkiana Traub, Pl. Life 18: 71. 1962. GEORGIA
Pancratium occidentale Pancratium occidentale Leconte, Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 146. 1835. GEORGIA: Bartow Co.: Allatoona Creek, 24 Aug 1948, Duncan 8828 (neotype: GA). Neotypified by G. L. Smith & Garland, Taxon 52: 807. 2003.
Tomodon pratense Tomodon pratense Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 4: 22. 1838 ("1836"), nom. illegit.Pancratium occidentale Leconte 1835. 
Hymenocallis caroliniana    

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Etowah, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Pickens, Pike, Shelby, St. Clair, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1874 - 2020

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UNA00006445 Autauga 22 Jul 1874 Smith, Eugene A.
s.n.		 UNA
Hymenocallis occidentalis (Le Conte) Kunth
UNA00007306 Autauga 27 Jul 1874 Smith, Eugene A.
s.n.		 UNA
Hymenocallis occidentalis (Le Conte) Kunth
AUA000027412 Autauga 10 Jul 1970 MOORE, HAROLD D.
338		 AUA
HYMENOCALLIS OCCIDENTALIS (LE CONTE) KUNTH
UNA00007331 Autauga 30 Aug 1980 Lentz, David L.
80		 UNA
Hymenocallis caroliniana (L.) Herbert
UNA00007331 Autauga 30 Aug 1980 Lentz, David L.
80		 UNA
Hymenocallis caroliniana (L.) Herbert
UNA00007311 Baldwin 27 Apr 1947 Lueth, Francis X.
L14		 UNA
Hymenocallis caroliniana (L.) Herbert
UNA00007311 Baldwin 27 Apr 1947 Lueth, Francis X.
L14		 UNA
Hymenocallis caroliniana (L.) Herbert
USAM000001018 Baldwin 23 Mar 1976 LeLong, Michel G.
9035		 USAM
Hymenocallis occidentalis (Le Conte) Kunth
UNA00007316 Baldwin 05 May 1978 Haynes, Robert R.
6455		 UNA
Hymenocallis caroliniana (L.) Herbert
USAM000001019 Baldwin 01 Apr 1980 Lott, Bob
12		 USAM
Hymenocallis occidentalis (Le Conte) Kunth
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