Habranthus is a genus of tender herbaceous flowering bulbs in the Amaryllidaceae

Amaryllidaceae

Amaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...

, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. The genus was first identified by pioneering bulb enthusiast William Herbert in 1824.

Description

Along with Zephyranthes

Zephyranthes

Zephyranthes is a genus of 71 species in the Amaryllis family . There are numerous hybrids and cultivars. Common names for species in this genus include fairy lily, rainflower, zephyr lily, magic lily, Atamasco lily, and rain lily.The name is derived from Ζέφυρος , the Greek god of the west...

and Cooperia

Cooperia

Cooperia is a genus of tender herbaceous perennials native to South America and the southern reaches of North America. They are closely related to Zephyranthes and Habranthus, all members of the Amaryllidaceae, or Amaryllis family. All three genera are commonly known as rain lilies because of...

, Habranthus is one of several related genera commonly known as rain lilies. All three have starry, funnelform flowers and are native to tropical and semi-tropical regions of the Americas. Flowers are either solitary or in umbels of up to 4 flowers, and typically appear in late spring through to autumn in response to rain. Individual bulbs are often capable of blooming more than once per year.

Habranthus is distinct from Zephyranthes

Zephyranthes

Zephyranthes is a genus of 71 species in the Amaryllis family . There are numerous hybrids and cultivars. Common names for species in this genus include fairy lily, rainflower, zephyr lily, magic lily, Atamasco lily, and rain lily.The name is derived from Ζέφυρος , the Greek god of the west...

in holding its flowers at an angle rather than upright and in having unequal stamen

Stamen

The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...

s. It also has less symmetrical flowers.

Cultivation

In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Habranthus, like other rain lilies, is regarded as an "heirloom plant", although it is not widely used in mainstream landscapes, perhaps because its bloom time, dependent on rain, is erratic. Nevertheless, the bulbs are rugged and easy to grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10 and are recognized among bulb specialists as possessing distinct landscape value in appropriate areas of the world. In colder regions they may be grown in sheltered sites, or in pots kept frost-free in winter.

The most commonly grown species are the pink-flowered H. robustus and the yellow-flowered H. tubispathus

Habranthus tubispathus

Habranthus tubispathus is a species of herbaceous flowering bulb native to temperate regions of South America, and widely naturalized in southern North America.-Description:...

.

List of species

The list of species accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families is shown below.

• Habranthus albispiritus Ravenna
• Habranthus amambaicus Ravenna
• Habranthus andalgalensis Ravenna
• Habranthus araguaiensis Ravenna
• Habranthus arenicola (Brandegee) Flagg
• Habranthus auratus Ravenna
• Habranthus bahiensis Ravenna
• Habranthus barrosianus Hunz. & Di Fulvio
• Habranthus botumirimensis R.S.Oliveira
• Habranthus brachyandrus (Baker) Sealy
• Habranthus caaguazuensis Ravenna
• Habranthus caeruleus (Griseb.) Traub
• Habranthus calderensis Ravenna
• Habranthus cardenasianus Traub & I.S.Nelson
• Habranthus carmineus Ravenna
• Habranthus catamarcensis Ravenna
• Habranthus chacoensis Ravenna
• Habranthus chichimeca (T.M.Howard & S.Ogden) Flagg
• Habranthus concinnus Ravenna
• Habranthus conzattii (Greenm.) Flagg
• Habranthus cordobensis Ravenna
• Habranthus correntinus Roitman
• Habranthus crassibulbus Ravenna
• Habranthus datensis Ravenna
• Habranthus duarteanus Ravenna
• Habranthus erectus Ravenna
• Habranthus estensis Ravenna
• Habranthus gameleirensis Ravenna
• Habranthus goianus Ravenna
• Habranthus gracilifolius Herb.
• Habranthus guachipensis Ravenna
• Habranthus immaculatus Traub & Clint
• Habranthus irwinianus Ravenna
• Habranthus ischihualastus Ravenna
• Habranthus itaobinus Ravenna
• Habranthus jamesonii (Baker) Ravenna
• Habranthus jujuyensis (E.Holmb.) Traub
• Habranthus lacteus (S.Moore) Ravenna
• Habranthus leonensis Ravenna
• Habranthus leptandrus Ravenna
• Habranthus longifolius (Hemsl.) Flagg
• Habranthus longipes (Baker) Sealy
• Habranthus lucidus R.S.Oliveira
• Habranthus maasii Ravenna
• Habranthus magnoi Ravenna
• Habranthus martinezii Ravenna
• Habranthus matacus Ravenna
• Habranthus medinae L.O.Alvarado & García-Mend.
• Habranthus mendocensis (Baker) Sealy
• Habranthus mexicanus T.M.Howard
• Habranthus microcarpus (Rusby) Ravenna
• Habranthus millarensis Ravenna
• Habranthus minor Ravenna
• Habranthus neumannii Roitman
• Habranthus niveus Ravenna
• Habranthus nullipes Ravenna
• Habranthus oaxacanus T.M.Howard
• Habranthus oltanus Ravenna
• Habranthus oranensis Ravenna
• Habranthus pantanalensis Ravenna
• Habranthus pedunculosus Herb.
• Habranthus philadelphicus Ravenna
• Habranthus pictus Ravenna
• Habranthus quilmesianus Ravenna
• Habranthus riojanus Ravenna
• Habranthus robustus Herb. ex Sweet
• Habranthus ruber Ravenna
• Habranthus ruizlealii Ravenna
• Habranthus saipinensis Ravenna
• Habranthus salinarum Ravenna
• Habranthus saltensis Ravenna
• Habranthus sanavirone Roitman
• Habranthus schulzianus Ravenna
• Habranthus spectabilis Ravenna
• Habranthus steyermarkii Ravenna
• Habranthus sylvaticus (Mart. ex Schult. & Schult.f.) Herb.
• Habranthus tepicensis Greenm. ex Flagg & G.Lom.Sm.
• Habranthus teretifolius (C.H.Wright) Traub & Moldenke
• Habranthus tubispathus
  Habranthus tubispathus
  Habranthus tubispathus is a species of herbaceous flowering bulb native to temperate regions of South America, and widely naturalized in southern North America.-Description:...
  
  (L'Hér.) Traub
• Habranthus unifolius (Arechav.) Traub
• Habranthus venturianus Ravenna
• Habranthus vittatus T.M.Howard

External links

• http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Habranthus/Habranthuslist.shtml International Bulb Society's gallery of photographs
• http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Habranthus Pacific Bulb Society's gallery of photographs
• http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=114414 Habranthus entry in Flora of North America