Amaryllidaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Amaryllidaceae J. St.-Hilaire

Synonym(s): Agapanthaceae F. Voigt; Alliaceae Borkh., nom. cons.; Brunsvigiaceae Horan.; Cepaceae Salisb.; Cyrtanthaceae Salisb.; Galanthaceae G. Mey.; Gethyllidaceae Raf.; Gilliesiaceae Lindl.; Haemanthaceae Salisb.; Leucojaceae Batsch ex Borkh.; Milulaceae Traub; Narcissaceae Juss.; Oporanthaceae Salisb.; Pancratiaceae Horan.; Strumariaceae Salisb.; Tulbaghiaceae Salisb.; Zephyranthaceae Salisb.

Common name(s): amaryllis family

*Number of genera/species: 75/1,600

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

fruit or seed

Description

Fruit a loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, sometimes a berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
, 4–76 mm long, oblateoblate:
depressed globose
to fusiformfusiform:
spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
or angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
in transection, beakedbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
(Ammocharis, Boophone, Crinum spp.), with one, few, or many seeds. Perianth sometimes persistent. Pericarp white, green, purple, yellow, orange, or red, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, fleshy or indurateindurate:
texture—hardened or stony; yielding under strong pressure; not deformable without internal structural disruption
, and often 3- or 6-lobed to ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
or undulateundulate:
wavy-margined
.

Seeds globose to ovateovate:
2D shape—egg-shaped in outline, widest point is towards one end of the organ, the other end tapers gradually, attachment at or near the broad end (compare obovate, ovoid)
, D-shapedD-shaped:
2D shape—has one straight margin and one curved margin, resembling the shape of the letter D
, or cuneiformcuneiform:
wedge-shaped
, compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
, triangulartriangular:
2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped
, or tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in transection, 2–43 mm long. Flattened seeds are usually winged. Galanthus, Leucojum, Narcissus, Sternbergia, and Pancratium seeds have fleshy elaisomes. Seed coat loose, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, smooth or variously ornamented.

Seeds are often orthodoxorthodox:
(of seed) seed that can be dried to low moisture levels
, usually with a phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
crust, and black or brown in color, but in a number of genera, the seeds are recalcitrantrecalcitrant:
(of seed) seed cannot be dried below relatively high moisture levels
with high water content (or turgid) and without a phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
crust. These turgid seeds are often large, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, and green. In Brunsvigia, Crossyne, Hessea, Nerine, and Strummaria seeds, the seed coats and embryos are green. In Amaryllis seeds, the seed coats are not green, but the embryos are green. Species of Crinum with turgid seeds also have green embryos.

Embryo well developed, axil and centric, linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, straight or curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
.

Endosperm copious, fleshy or hard.

Habitat and crop association

Commonly intercepted at ports. Weedy in forests, shrubs, grasslands, and lawns. Spreads by bulb or bulbil propagation and seed reproduction often growing in dense mats or stands.

Aquarium & Pond Plants of the World tool includes descriptions and images of genera, which may be encountered.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	loculicidalloculicidal: type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal) capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary , sometimes a berryberry: an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
Size range	4–76 mm long
Shape(s)	oblateoblate: depressed globose , oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , cylindricalcylindrical: 3D shape—a cylinder, with parallel sides and a circular cross-section; tubular or rod-shaped , obcordateobcordate: 2D shape—heart-shaped, with attachment at or near the narrow end (compare cordate) , cuneiformcuneiform: wedge-shaped , fusiformfusiform: spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends , trigonoustrigonous: 3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline , teardrop-shapedteardrop-shaped: 2D shape—widest point is toward one end of the fruit, the other end tapers sharply to a pointed end
Texture	fleshy, indurateindurate: texture—hardened or stony; yielding under strong pressure; not deformable without internal structural disruption , membranousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough , leatheryleathery: texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
Surface relief	smooth or ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface , undulated
Color(s)	red, yellow, orange, purple, green, white, sometimes specked
Unique features	Often brightly colored capsulescapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary , sometimes berriesberry: an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa. , with beaks formed from periogone tubes in several genera, and black or brown phytomelan-encrusted seeds.
Seed
Size range	2–43 mm long
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , D-shapedD-shaped: 2D shape—has one straight margin and one curved margin, resembling the shape of the letter D , cuneiformcuneiform: wedge-shaped
Surface relief	ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface , reticulatereticulate: surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces , papillatepapillate: surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex , wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , pittedpitted: surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net
Color(s)	black, brown, green, red, white, gray
Unique features	Seeds usually phytomelan-encrusted, sometimes winged or with elaiosomeselaiosome: a lipid and protein-rich fleshy structure attached to some seeds and fruits, it attracts ants which then disperse the disseminule (e.g., caruncle in the Euphorbiaceae, the aril (outgrowth of the funiculus) in the Fabaceae) .
Other
Embryo	well developed, axil and centric, linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide , straight or curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
Nutritive tissue	endosperm copious, fleshy or hard in texture

Distribution

Temperate and tropical areas in the Americas, Eurasia, Africa, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

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*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.