Dwarf Spiderlily

Hymenocallis pygmaea was described from bulbs collected by Mary G. Henry along a small tributary of the Waccamaw River in South Carolina. Populations that we have studied and vouchered from the Waccamaw River drainage are characterized by extremely narrow, coriaceous, nearly erect, shiny leaves and small flowers. This species could be considered a cytological and/or ecological variant of H. crassifolia, but because of its smaller stature and features it is maintained here as a separate species. Additional studies on the dwarf spider-lilies of the Atlantic Coastal Plain should be undertaken to clarify their taxonomic status.

Bulb rhizomatous, narrowly ovoid, 1.3–3 × 1–2 cm; basal plate ca. 1 cm; neck 2–5 cm; tunic gray. Leaves deciduous, 2–5, suberect, 1.5–4 dm × 0.5–1.3(–2) cm, coriaceous; blade shiny green, narrowly liguliform, apex subacute. Scape 1.2–3(–4.2) dm, 2-edged, glaucous; scape bracts 2, enclosing buds, 2–3 × 0.5–1 cm; subtending floral bracts 1.5–2.5 cm × 3–5 mm. Flowers 1–2, opening sequentially, with lemony fragrance; perianth tube green, 4–6 cm; tepals slightly ascending, white, tinged green on keel, 5–7 cm × 3–6 mm; corona white with small green eye, funnelform at full anthesis, then gradually spreading, shortly tubulose proximally, 2–3 × ca. 3 cm, margins between free portions of filaments irregularly dentate, projections small; free portions of filaments inserted on flat sinal base, suberect, white, 1.8–2.8 cm; anthers 1–1.5 cm, pollen golden; ovary ovoid, ca. 1 cm × 5 mm, ovules 2 per locule; style green in distal 1/3, fading to white proximally, 10–13 cm. Capsules subglobose, ca. 2 × 2 cm. Seeds obovoid, ca. 1.5 × 1 cm. 2n = 40, 41.

N.C., S.C.

Flowering mid spring.

Bogs and stream banks; 0m.

Hymenocallis pygmaea Traub is a plant in the Amaryllidaceae found in the wild only in North Carolina and South Carolina. Common name is dwarf spider-lily, and it is cultivated as an ornamental in some regions.

Hymenocallis pygmaea is a bulb-forming herb found in bogs and along stream banks It is considerably smaller than most other species of Hymenocallis, with a scape rarely more the 40 cm tall. Leaves are up to 40 cm long but rarely more than 30 mm wide. The umbel contains only 1 or 2 flowers, white with a green center and a lemony scent.