Amaryllidaceae

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Asparagales

There are about 59 genera and 800 species (warm temperate and tropical regions worldwide), of which 18 genera and about 280 species are indigenous to southern Africa (the region with the highest diversity of amaryllids in the world). An additional one genus and species is naturalised, and an additional 12 genera and 31 species are cultivated in Southern Africa.

Genera indigenous to southern Africa

Based mainly on Snijman (2000).

Amaryllis The 2 species are endemic to the Northern Cape and Western Cape within the winter-rainfall region.
Ammocharis The 5 species are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with 3 species in southern Africa.
Apodolirion About 6 species, all endemic to southern Africa.
Boophone Two species, both found in southern Africa but with one widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa.
Brunsvigia The 20 species are endemic to southern Africa.
Carpolyza The single species Carpolyza spiralis is endemic to the Western Cape.
Clivia The five species are endemic to southern Africa.
Crinum About 65 species worldwide, found mainly in the tropics. There are about 23 species indigenous to southern Africa. An additional three exotic species are cultivated in the region.
Crossyne The 2 species are endemic to the Western Cape and Northern Cape, occurring in the winter-rainfall region.
Cybistetes The single species Cybistetes longifolia is found in the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Namibia.
Cyrtanthus About 50 species, mainly found in southern Africa but two occurring further north.
Gethyllis About 32 species, endemic to southern Africa, occurring in semi-arid regions.
Haemanthus The 22 species are endemic to southern Africa.
Hessea The 14 species are endemic to southern Africa.
Nerine About 23 species, all endemic to southern Africa.
Pancratium About 20 species, found in the Mediterranean region, southern Asia, the Canary Islands and Africa. Pancratium tenuifolium is the only species native to southern Africa, found in Namibia, Botswana and the Northern Province. In addition, Pancratium canariense from the Canary Islands, and Pancratium maritinum from the Mediterranean region, are cultivated in southern Africa.
Scadoxus The 9 species are native to Africa, with three species indigenous to southern Africa. Scadoxus nutans, indigenous to Ethiopia, is cultivated in the region.
Strumaria About 23 species, endemic to southern Africa.

Genera naturalised in southern Africa

Zephyranthes

Zephyranthes grandiflora originates from Central America and has become established in coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal. An additional four species are cultivated in southern Africa.

Exotic genera cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glenn (2002). Doryanthes now included in Doryanthaceae in the order Asparagales.

Calostemma Calostemma purpureum is indigenous to Australia and is cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Chlidanthus Chlidanthus fragrans is indigenous to Peru and is cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Eucharis Eucharis grandiflora (Amazon lily) is indigenous to Colombia and is cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Griffinia
Habranthus Two species, indigenous to South America, are cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Hippeastrum Three species, indigenous to the Caribbean or South America, are cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Hymenocallis Three species, indigenous to Mexico, West Indies and/or South America, are cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Leucojum (snowdrops) Leucojum aestivum (Summer snowdrop) is indigenous from Europe to the Caucasus and is cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Lycoris Lycoris radiata is indigenous to Japan and is cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Narcissus (daffodil genus) Five species, indigenous to Europe and the Mediterranean, are cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Polianthes Polianthes tuberosa (Tuberose) is indigenous to Mexico and is cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.
Sprekelia Sprekelia formosissima (Jacobean lily, Maltese cross) is indigenous to Mexico and Guatamala and is cultivated in gardens in southern Africa.

See list of important poisonous species in the Amaryllidaceae that are found in southern Africa.

Publications

Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated plants of southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.
Snijman, D.A. 2000. Amaryllidaceae. In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa: Families and Genera (Ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, pp. 570-576.
Snijman, D.A. & Linder, H.P. 1996. Phylogenetic relationships, seed characters, and dispersal system evolution in Amaryllideae (Amaryllidaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 83: 362-386.

Text by Hamish Robertson