Anthericum
Encyclopedia
Anthericum is a genus
of about 300 species, rhizomatous perennial plant
s in the family
Asparagaceae
, subfamily Agavoideae. It was formerly placed in its own family, Anthericeae. The species have rhizomatous
or tuber
ous roots, long narrow leaves and branched stems carrying starry white flower
s. The members of this genus
occurs mainly in the tropical and southern Africa
and Madagascar
, but also represented in Europe
.
The generic name Anthericum is derived from the Greek
word ανθερικος (antherikos), meaning "straw", referring to the narrow leaves.
Only two species are in general cultivation. A number of species are now included in the genus Chlorophytum
, the Spider Plant, a familiar and popular house plant. Others, including the St. Bruno's Lily, are now classed in the genus Paradisea
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of about 300 species, rhizomatous perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
s in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.In earlier classification systems, the species involved were often treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae...
, subfamily Agavoideae. It was formerly placed in its own family, Anthericeae. The species have rhizomatous
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
or tuber
Tuber
Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season and they are a means of asexual reproduction...
ous roots, long narrow leaves and branched stems carrying starry white flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s. The members of this genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
occurs mainly in the tropical and southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
and Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, but also represented in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The generic name Anthericum is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word ανθερικος (antherikos), meaning "straw", referring to the narrow leaves.
Only two species are in general cultivation. A number of species are now included in the genus Chlorophytum
Chlorophytum
Chlorophytum is a genus of about 200-220 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia....
, the Spider Plant, a familiar and popular house plant. Others, including the St. Bruno's Lily, are now classed in the genus Paradisea
Paradisea
Paradisea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae. It was formerly classified in the family Anthericaceae or earlier in the Liliaceae. The genus includes several species which were formerly classed as part of the genus Anthericum....
.
Selected species
- Anthericum acuminatum Rendle
- Anthericum baeticum
- Anthericum falcatum L.f.
- Anthericum japonicum Thunb.
- Anthericum liliagoAnthericum liliagoAnthericum liliago is a species of the genus Anthericum. It is native to Europe and Turkey, growing in dry pastures, stony places and open woods and flowering in early summer.-Description:...
L. – St. Bernard's Lily - Anthericum ramosumAnthericum ramosumAnthericum ramosum is a herbaceous perennial plant with a rhizome. The genus Anthericum is currently placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It was formerly placed in its own family, Anthericeae, and before that in the Liliaceae....
L.
Formerly placed here
- Arthropodium cirrhatum (G.Forst.) R.Br. (as A. cirrhatum G.Forst.)
- Bulbine frutescensBulbine frutescensBulbine frutescens is a species of flowering plant in the genus Bulbine....
(L.) Willd. (as A. frutescens L.) - Bulbine longiscapa (Jacq.) Willd. (as A. longiscapum Jacq.)
- Bulbinella hookeri (Colenso ex Hook.) Cheeseman (as A. hookeri (Colenso ex Hook.) Hook.f.)
- Bulbinella nutans subsp. nutans (as A. nutans Thunb.)
- Chlorophytum bichetii (Karrer) Backer (as A. bichetii hort. ex Backer, nom. inval.)
- Chlorophytum capense (L.) Voss (as A. elatum Aiton)
- Chlorophytum macrophyllum (A.Rich.) Asch. (as A. macrophyllum A.Rich.)
- Eccremis coarctata (Ruiz & Pav.) Baker (as A. coarctatum Ruiz & Pav.)
- Echeandia flavescens (Schult. & Schult.f.) Cruden (as A. flavescens Schult. & Schult.f. and A. torreyi Baker)
- Drimia fragrans (Jacq.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt (as A. fragrans Jacq.)
- Drimia physodes (Jacq.) Jessop (as A. physodes Jacq.)
- Narthecium ossifragum (L.) Huds. (as A. ossifragum L.)
- Pasithea caerulea (Ruiz & Pav.) D.Don (as A. caeruleum Ruiz & Pav.)
- Simethis planifoliaSimethis planifoliaSimethis planifolia, called Kerry Lily, is a bulbous plant of the family family Xanthorrhoeaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae. It grows in dry places especially near the coast in western Europe. Its common name is based on its occurrence at a few sites in County Kerry, Ireland.-External links:*...
(Vand. ex L.) Gren. & Godr. (as A. planifolium Vand. ex L.)