Hesperocallis
| Hesperocallis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Agavoideae |
| Genus: | Hesperocallis |
| Species: | H. undulata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hesperocallis undulata A.Gray, 1868
| |
Hesperocallis is a genus of flowering plants that includes a single species, Hesperocallis undulata, known as the desert lily or ajo lily.
Description
[edit]Plants grow from an ovoid bulb with 2-3 leaves. Plants have ruffled edge leaves that are linear lanceolate 20-40 x 1-1.5 cm. Bracts are ovate1-1.5 cm long. Pedicils are 1 cm long. Flowers form on a 10-30 long inflorescence with many flowers. Flowers are white funnel shaped, with a blue green or silver gray band in the middle of the back of the petals. The seed capsules is 1.5 cm long and rigid. Seeds are 0.5 cm long.[1]
Distribution
[edit]It is found growing in sand flats and dunes in the desert areas of southwestern North America, in Baja California and Sonora, Northwestern Mexico; California, Nevada, and Arizona.[2] The plant grows in Mojave Desert, Colorado Desert, and Sonoran Desert habitats.The bulbs grow up to 60 cm below the surface of the soil. This species is pollinated by sphinx moth.[3] Plants bloom from February to May.[4]
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BLM Desert Lily Preserve near Desert Center, California -
H. undulata growing in Vallecito Mountains, elevation 420 metres (1,380 ft)
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Taxonomy
[edit]In the APG III system, adopted here, Hesperocallis is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, since recent molecular systematic studies (Pires et al. 2004) have confirmed a close relationship with Agave.[5] Other classifications have included the species in its own family, Hemerocallidaceae, or placed it in the Hostaceae (Funkiaceae); both families are submerged into the Agavoideae in the APG III system.[6] As with many of the 'lilioid monocots', prior to the use of molecular evidence in classification, it was placed in the Liliaceae.
Uses
[edit]The bulbs of the desert lily are eaten by native peoples.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Abrams, L.R.; Ferris, R.S. (1923). Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States: —Vol. I: Ferns to Birthworts. An Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States: Washington, Oregon, and California. Stanford University Press. p. 411. ISBN 978-0-8047-0003-0. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ^ Sturla, Eugene. "Hesperocallis undulata, Desert Lily, Southwest Desert Flora". Southwest Desert Flora. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ Schoenherr, Allan A. (1992-12-16). A Natural History of California. University of California Press. p. 473. ISBN 978-0-520-90991-5. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ Jaeger, E.C. (1941). Desert Wild Flowers. List of families p.xi. Stanford University Press. p. 4-IA5. ISBN 978-0-8047-0365-9. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ^ Stevens, P.F., Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Agavoideae
- ^ Chase, M.W.; Reveal, J.L. & Fay, M.F. (2009), "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae", Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161 (2): 132–136, doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x
- ^ "American Indian Ethnobotany Database: Hesperocallis undulata". Archived from the original on 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
Further reading
[edit]- Pires, J. C., I. J. Maureira, J. P. Rebman, G. A. Salazar, L. I. Cabrera, M. F. Fay, and M. W. Chase. 2004. Molecular data confirm the phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic Hesperocallis (Hesperocallidaceae) with Agave. Madroño 51: 307–311.
- NCBI Taxonomy Browser
External links
[edit]
Media related to Hesperocallis at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Hesperocallis at Wikispecies- CalFlora Database: Hesperocallis undulata
- Hesperocallis undulata pictures
- BLM Desert Lily Preserve photo album
- links at CSDL, Texas Archived 2007-06-24 at the Wayback Machine
