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Hymenocallis littoralis

White Spider Lily

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: White Spider Lily

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Mexico - Colombia - Surinam

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised, persistent; Land, lowlands and gardens

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Ornamental flowers

KEY FEATURES: Similar to Hymenocallis pedalis. See under that species for distinguishing features.

SIMILAR SPECIES: See under Hymenocallis pedalis.

Enlarged Image of 'Hymenocallis littoralis'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Hymenocallis littoralis (N.Jacquin)
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); LILIIDAE; Liliales; LILIACEAE

More Information

IDENTIFICATION: Herb to 120cm. LEAVES basal, fleshy, dark green, lancelike, to 120x4cm. FLOWERS on stalk (=scape) to 80cm; 5-11; ovary with 3 cells each with 4-6(-8) ovules, green; tube green, 15x0.5cm; petals (tepals) 6, white, straplike, 10x0.5cm; staminal cup lying on the petals, wheel-like flaring to 3.5cmØ; stamens 6, to 9cm, white in cup and 1cm beyond then green; style protuding 11cm, green.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: fieldspecimen+photo, near Wind Cottage at Avana, 3/2004, G.McCormack ID as Hymenocallis littoralis.

References:
p.222 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.581 Hortus 3rd
p.591 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.70 Tropica
p.5/583 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova

Data Update History (information):
zB04a

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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