{{Short description|Species of plant}} {{Speciesbox |image = Sprekelia formosissima 1.jpg |display_parents = 3 |genus = Zephyranthes |parent_authority = |species = formosissima |authority = (L.) Z.H.Feng<ref name = "Feng et al., 2024" /> |synonyms = {{Species list|hidden=yes |Amaryllis formosa|Salisb., nom. superfl. |Amaryllis formosissima|L. |Amaryllis karwinskii|Zucc. |Hippeastrum formosissimum|(L.) P.J.S.Cramer, nom. illeg. |Hippeastrum glaucum|(Lindl.) Christenh. & Byng |Narcissus jacobaea|G.Edwards |Sprekelia clintiae|Traub |Sprekelia glauca|Lindl. |Sprekelia heisteri|Trew ex Kunth |Sprekelia karwinskii|(Zucc.) M.Roem. |Sprekelia ringens|C.Morren |Sprekelia stenopetala|Lem. }} |synonyms_ref = <ref name=POWO_1639-1/> |range_map = Mexico location.svg |range_map_caption = It is endemic to Mexico<ref name=POWO_66815-1/> }}
'''''Zephyranthes formosissima''''' (formerly '''''Sprekelia formosissima'''''),<ref name = "Feng et al., 2024" /> also known as '''Aztec lilies''' or '''Jacobean lilies''',<ref name = "RHS" /> is a species of bulbous perennial herb<ref name = "HortFlora" /> in the family Amaryllidaceae endemic to Mexico.<ref name=POWO_66815-1/><ref name=POWO_1639-1>{{cite web |title=''Sprekelia'' Heist.. |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1639-1 |access-date=2023-01-30 }}</ref> After its former genus ''Sprekelia'' has been merged into the genus ''Zephyranthes'' in 2019,<ref name = "García et al., 2019 a">{{cite journal |last1=García |first1=Nicolás |last2=Meerow |first2=Alan W. |last3=Arroyo-Leuenberger |first3=Silvia |last4=Oliveira |first4=Renata S. |last5=Dutilh |first5=Julie H.|last6=Soltis |first6=Pamela S. |last7=Judd |first7=Walter S. |author-mask1=|title=Generic classification of Amaryllidaceae tribe Hippeastreae |journal=Taxon |date=June 2019 |volume=68 |issue=3 |pages=481–498 |doi=10.1002/tax.12062|bibcode=2019Taxon..68..481G |s2cid=202854432 |ref={{harvid|Garcia et al|2019}}}}{{link note|note=With [https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12208 corrections] published 2020}}</ref> it was formally transferred to ''Zephyranthes'' in 2024.<ref name = "Feng et al., 2024" />
==Description== thumb|right|Flowering ''Zephyranthes formosissima'' cultivated in a pot thumb|right|''Zephyranthes formosissima'' flower thumb|right|''Zephyranthes formosissima'' bulb with scale bar (10 cm) ===Vegetative characteristics=== ''Zephyranthes formosissima'' is a bulbous,<ref name = "MBG">''Sprekelia formosissima''. (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=275850&isprofile=0&</ref> perennial herb<ref name = "HortFlora" /> with ovate to globose,<ref name = "Bischoff, 1840" /> up to 5 cm wide,<ref name = "JLU" /><ref name = "HortFlora">Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. (n.d.-c). ''Sprekelia formosissima'' (L.) A.D.Herb. Jacobean Lily. HortFlora Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://hortflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/taxon/adac5b6e-5340-11e7-b82b-005056b0018f</ref> long-necked bulbs,<ref name = "Borys et al., 2005" /> bearing 3–6<ref name = "JLU">''Sprekelia formosissima'' (L.) HERB. (n.d.). Botanischen Garten Der Justus-Liebig-Universität. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from http://fb08heilpflanze.bot1.bio.uni-giessen.de/zeigePflanzeDetails?p_id=963 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250113191925/http://fb08heilpflanze.bot1.bio.uni-giessen.de/zeigePflanzeDetails?p_id=963 |date=2025-01-13 }}</ref> annual,<ref name = "Meerow & Snijman, 1998" /> strap-shaped,<ref name = "RHS">''Sprekelia formosissima'' Aztec lily. (n.d.). Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/17705/sprekelia-formosissima/details</ref> linear,<ref name = "HortFlora" /> bright green,<ref name = "Meerow & Snijman, 1998" /> sometimes glaucous,<ref name = "Tapia-Campos et al., 2012" /> up to 50 cm long, and 2 cm wide leaves.<ref name = "HortFlora" /> The bulbs produce offsets.<ref name = "MBG" /> The roots are fibrous.<ref name = "Alejandro, 2017">Alejandro, V. R. (2017). [http://repositorio.cucba.udg.mx:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/6080/Velasco_Ramirez_Alejandro.pdf?sequence=1 Variabilidad genética y distribución espacial del lirio azteca (''Sprekelia formosissima'').]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ===Generative characteristics=== The 1–2 flowered,<ref name = "García et al., 2019 a" /><ref name = "Bischoff, 1840">Bischoff, G. W. (1840). [https://www.google.de/books/edition/Lehrbuch_der_Botanik/TFyYALsupaQC?hl=de&gbpv=1&dq=Sprekelia%20formosissima&pg=PA890&printsec=frontcover Lehrbuch der Botanik.] p. 890. Deutschland: Schweizerbart.</ref> but usually solitary inflorescence<ref name = "Alejandro, 2017" /><ref name = "García et al., 2019 a" /> with a hollow,<ref name = "Meerow & Snijman, 1998" /> 40–70(–90) cm tall scape<ref name = "Tapia-Campos et al., 2012" /> has zygomorphic,<ref name = "García et al., 2019 a" /> bright red flowers.<ref name = "JLU" /> The flowers has 6 tepals.<ref name = "MBG" /> The androecium consists of 6 stamens.<ref name = "Alejandro, 2017" /><ref>Vilmorin's illustrirte Blumengärtnerei: 1872-1873. [https://www.google.de/books/edition/Vilmorin_s_illustrirte_Blumeng%C3%A4rtnerei/qnyTh8VdXGEC?hl=de&gbpv=1&dq=Sprekelia%20formosissima&pg=PA83&printsec=frontcover Translation of Les Fleurs de pleine terre, ed. 3. (iii, 1363 p. ; 1235 ill.).] p. 83. (1873). Deutschland: Wiegandt, Hempel & Parey.</ref> The gynoecium consists of 3 carpels.<ref name = "HortFlora" /> The stigma is trifid.<ref name = "Meerow & Snijman, 1998" /> The triangular<ref name = "HortFlora" /> 1.5–2.7 cm wide capsule fruit<ref name = "Alejandro, 2017" /> bears black, flat, winged,<ref name = "HortFlora" /> 9–11 mm long, and 6.5–8 mm wide seeds.<ref name = "Alejandro, 2017" /> ===Cytology=== Various chromosome counts have been observed: 2n = 60, 120, 150, 180.<ref name = "García et al., 2019 a" />
== Taxonomy == It was first published as ''Amaryllis formosissima'' {{au|L.}} by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.<ref name = "Linnaeus, 1753">Linné, Carl von, & Salvius, Lars. (1753). Caroli Linnaei ... Species plantarum :exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas... (Vol. 1, p. 293). Impensis Laurentii Salvii. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358312</ref><ref name = "IPNI 62814-1">''Amaryllis formosissima'' L. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/62814-1</ref> A new genus ''Sprekelia'' {{au|Heist.}} was created by Lorenz Heister in 1748,<ref name = "IPNI 1638-1">''Sprekelia'' Heist. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/1638-1</ref> honouring Johann Heinrich von Spreckelsen (1691–1764), who supplied the plants to Lorenz Heister.<ref name = "Heister, 1755">Heister, Lorenz 1755. Geschreibung eines neuen Geschlechts 15, 19.</ref> Heister however did not transfer any species to the new genus.<ref name = "García et al., 2019 b" /> It was placed into the genus ''Sprekelia'' {{au|Heist.}} as ''Sprekelia formosissima'' {{au|(L.) Herb.}} by William Herbert in 1821.<ref name=POWO_66815-1/><ref name=IPNI_66815-1>{{cite web |title=''Sprekelia formosissima'' (L.) Herb.. |work=International Plant Names Index |url=https://www.ipni.org/n/66815-1 |access-date=2023-01-30 }}</ref> The genus ''Sprekelia'' {{au|Heist.}} was merged into ''Zephyranthes'' {{au|Herb.}}, due to genetic analyses.<ref name = "García et al., 2019 a" /> As ''Sprekelia'' {{au|Heist.}} is the earlier name than ''Zephyranthes'' {{au|Herb.}}, it was proposed to conserve ''Zephyranthes'' {{au|Herb.}} against ''Sprekelia'' {{au|Heist.}}.<ref name = "García et al., 2019 b">García, N., Meerow, A. W., Arroyo‐Leuenberger, S., & Judd, W. S. (2019). [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/tax.12079 (2692) Proposal to conserve ''Zephyranthes'' (Amaryllidaceae), nom. cons. against an additional name, ''Sprekelia''.] Taxon, 68(3), 596-596.</ref> Upon acceptance of this proposal, ''Sprekelia formosissima'' {{au|(L.) Herb.}} was merged into ''Zephyranthes'' {{au|Herb.}} as ''Zephyranthes formosissima'' {{au|(Linnaeus) Z.H. Feng}} published by Zhen-Hao Feng in 2024.<ref name = "Feng et al., 2024">Z.-H. Feng, Z.-J. Huang, B. Liu, and S. Liu. 2024. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387185740_Nomenclatural_novelties_for_intergeneric_nothotaxa Nomenclatural novelties for intergeneric nothotaxa.] Phytoneuron 2024-85: 1–41. Published 18 December 2024. ISSN 2153-733X</ref><ref name = "IPNI 77353849-1">''Zephyranthes formosissima'' (L.) Z.H.Feng. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/77353849-1</ref><ref name = "Tropicos">Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-ar). ''Zephyranthes formosissima'' (L.) Z.-H. Feng. Tropicos. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://tropicos.org/name/100555120</ref> It is placed in the tribe Hippeastreae.<ref name = "García et al., 2019 a" /> ===Etymology=== The specific epithet ''formosissima'' means "most beautiful" or "best formed".<ref name = "MBG" /> ===Hybridisation=== There are crosses between the genera ''Hippeastrum'' and ''Sprekelia'', referred to as "x ''Hippeastrelia''",<ref>{{Cite web |title=×''Hippeastrelia'' {{!}} Pacific Bulb Society |url=https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/XHippeastrelia |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=www.pacificbulbsociety.org}}</ref> as well as at least one cross between the three genera ''Hippeastrum'', ''Sprekelia'', and ''Zephyranthes'', x ''Howardara''.<ref name="IPNI_77111162-1">{{cite web |title=''× Howardara'' Lehmiller |work=The International Plant Names Index |url=https://www.ipni.org/n/77111162-1 |access-date=2023-01-31 }}</ref>
==Distribution and habitat== ''Zephyranthes formosissima'' is endemic to Mexico. It has been introduced to the Mariana Islands.<ref name=POWO_66815-1>{{cite web |title=''Sprekelia formosissima'' (L.) Herb.. |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:66815-1 |access-date=2023-01-30 }}</ref> It occurs in various habitats, ranging from hot and xeric to temperate and humid conditions. It grows in rocky, loamy, or sandy soils<ref name = "Borys et al., 2005">Borys, M. W., Leszczyńska-Borys, H., & Galván, J. L. (2005). [https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/20093212818 Variants in ''Sprekelia formosissima'' (L.) Herbert.]</ref> on rocky slopes and outcrops.<ref name = "MBG" />
==Ecology== ===Pollination=== The flowers are adapted to hummingbird pollination.<ref name = "Tapia-Campos et al., 2012">Tapia-Campos, E., Rodriguez-Dominguez, J. M., Revuelta-Arreola, M. M., Van Tuyl, J. M., & Barba-Gonzalez, R. (2012). [http://www.globalsciencebooks.info/Online/GSBOnline/images/2012/FOB_6(SI1)/FOB_6(SI1)129-139o.pdf Mexican Geophytes II. The Genera ''Hymenocallis'', ''Sprekelia'' and ''Zephyranthes''.] Floriculture and Ornamental Biotechnology, 6(SI 1), 129-139.</ref><ref name = "Meerow & Snijman, 1998">Meerow, A.W., Snijman, D.A. (1998). [https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-03533-7 Amaryllidaceae.] In: Kubitzki, K. (eds) Flowering Plants · Monocotyledons. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. </ref>
==Cultivation== ''Zephyranthes formosissima'' is common in cultivation, planted in warm climates or raised in pots in colder climates, or planted and lifted, much as the gladiolus. Even when well grown, bulbs often do not bloom every year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/summer/productview/?sku=95-01 |title=Brent And Becky's Bulbs: Product Profile - ''Sprekelia - formosissima'' |access-date=2009-10-01 |archive-date=2010-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101204655/http://brentandbeckysbulbs.com/summer/productview/?sku=95-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.shieldsgardens.com/amaryllids/Sprekelia.html Shields Gardens The Amaryllis Family: ''Sprekelia'']</ref> The Royal Horticultural Society recommends it as an interesting choice for heated conservatories or greenhouses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Warm conservatory and greenhouse plants |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/for-places/greenhouse-conservatory-warm |date=2022 |publisher=The Royal Horticultural Society |access-date=7 March 2022 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Sprekelia}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q133098246|from2=Q159042|from3=Q6647381|from4=Q21870164}} {{Authority control}}
formosissima Category:Endemic flora of Mexico Category:Plants described in 1753