{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Calostemma luteum.jpg | image_caption = ''Calostemma luteum'' | taxon = Calostemma | authority = R.Br.<ref>Prodr.: 297 (1810).</ref> | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text }} '''''Calostemma''''' is a small genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae<ref>{{citation |last=Stevens |first=P.F. |title=Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Amaryllidoideae |url=http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/orders/asparagalesweb.htm#AllAma }}</ref>), commonly known as '''Wilcannia Lily'''. It consists of three species endemic to Australia, where they are distributed in arid regions with summer precipitation.

==Description== Members of ''Calostemma'' often flower in a leafless state, the narrow, shining-green, strap-like leaves usually preceding flowering and reaching a length of 25–30&nbsp;cm. Flower colour is a purplish red or yellow with a tube sometimes paler and the anthers yellow.

== Species == The list of ''Calostemma '' species, with their complete scientific name and authority, is given below.<ref name="RBG">Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. [http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/qsearch.do World Checklist of Monocotyledons: ''Calostemma '']. Accessed May 26, 2009.</ref>

*''Calostemma abdicatum'' P.J.Lang,<ref>J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 22: 49 (2008).</ref> distributed in South Australia. *''Calostemma luteum'' Sims,<ref>Bot. Mag. 46: t. 2101 (1819).</ref> from Center Queensland to South Australia. *''Calostemma purpureum'' R.Br.,<ref>Prodr.: 298 (1810).</ref> South Central and South Eastern Australia.

==Uses== Due to their large and showy flowers, members of this genus are used as ornamental plants.

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== *Cooper, H.M. 1971. Notes and observations on ''Calostemma purpureum''. S. Austral. Nat. 45(4): 112–114. *Clark, T., Parsons, R.F. 1994. Ecology of ''Calostemma'' and ''Crinum'' (Amaryllidaceae) in the River Murray area, south-eastern Australia. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria 106: 129–145.

==External links== *[http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Calostemma/Calostemma_lutea/Calostemmalutea.html Flowers of ''Calostemma lutea''] *[http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Calostemma/Calostemma_purpureum/Calostemmapurpureum.html Flowers of Calostemma purpureum]

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Category:Amaryllidaceae genera Category:Amaryllidoideae Category:Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)

{{Amaryllidaceae-stub}}