Endemic Plant - Puerto Rico Zephyr Lily

Puerto Rico Zephyr Lily, Rain Lily, Water Crocus (Eng.), (no known common Sp. name), Zephyranthes puertoricensis(Sci.), endemic species, Puerto Rico - native U.S. Virgin Islands, introduced South America (Colombia).

Information compiled by Alan Mowbray, USDA Forest Service,
El Yunque National Forest – 2010.

General Information:

Group- Monocot, Order-  Liliales, Family-  Liliaceae, Genus-  Zephyranthes, Species-  Z. puertoricensis.

Description:

The Puerto Rico Zephyr lily is a small plant, growing to 24 inches (60 centimeters) high, with white, occasionally pinkish-tinged, six-petal flowers measuring from 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) in diameter, blooming from July through October. Glossy, dark green, linear leaves, typically absent when the plant is flowering, up to 13 inches (35 centimeters) long and 3 inches (9 centimeters) wide. The leafless stalk (scape) can reach up to 4 inches (11 centimeters) in height , while small, flower bearing stalk-like pedicels can be as long as 2 inches (50 millimeters). The whitish-green perigone (calx and corolla combination) enclosing the outer parts of the flower typically measure up to 2 inches (50 millimeters) with a short 0.1 inch (4 millimeter) tube.

Habitat:

Moist, subtropical forest to 2,000 feet (600 meters), Luquillo, Cordillera Central, Puerto Rico, and similar habitat in U.S. Virgin Islands and Columbia.

Threats:

There are no known threats to this species.

Additional Information:

Tropical Vegetation Specialist
USDA Forest Service
El Yunque National Forest
HC-01 Box 13490
Rio Grande, PR 00745
Telephone: 787 888 1810

Sintenis' Guava	Puerto Rico Zephyr Lily	Puerto Rico Raintree
Eugenia eggersii	Myrica holdrigeana	Ravenia urbanii
Saintedwood	Schwanecke's Logwood	Marlierea sintenisii
Melinosma obtusifolia