Mostly tall bulbous herbs with usually lanceolate or linear-oblong leaves, and large white sessile or short-pedicelled umbelled flowers on erect solid scapes, each flower subtended by 2 long membranous bracts. Perianth of 6 spreading or recurved narrow equal elongated lobes, united below into a long cylindric tube. Stamens inserted in the top of the perianth-tube, the lower parts of the long filaments connected by a membranous cup-like crown; anthers linear, versatile. Ovary 3-celled; ovules only 1 or 2 in each cavity; style filiform, long-exserted; stigma small, entire or nearly so. Capsule ovoid or globose, rather fleshy. Seeds usually only 1 or 2, large, green, fleshy. [Greek, beautiful membrane, referring to the crown.]

About 30 species, all American. Besides the following, 10 others occur in the southern States. Type species: Lymenocallis littoralis Salisb.

1. Hymenocallis Occidentalis (Le Conte) Kunth. Hymenocallis

Fig. 1323

Pancratium carolinianum L. Sp. PI. 291. 1753?. Pancratium occidental LeConte, Ann. Lyc. N. Y. 3: 146.

1830. Hymenocallis occidentalis Kunth, Enum. 5: 856. 1850.

Bulb large. Leaves linear-oblong, narrowed at each end, fleshy, glaucous, 1°-2° long, 9"-2' wide; scape stout, equalling or longer than the leaves; bracts linear-lanceolate, 1 1/2'-2 1/2' long; umbel several-flowered; perianth-tube 1 1/2"-2" in diameter, 3'-5' long, the linear lobes nearly as long; crown funnelform, narrowed below, 1'-1 1/4' long, its margins entire, erose or 2-toothed between the filaments; free part of the filaments about 1' long, white; anthers about 1/2' long and 1/2" wide, yellow; style extending for 2'-3' beyond the crown, green; fruit 6"-9" in diameter.

In moist soil, Georgia to Alabama, southern Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. July-Sept.