Herbs perennial; with a basal aggregation of leaves, or with neither basal nor terminal aggregations of leaves; bulbaceous (mostly), or rhizomatous (in that a few have structures transitional between rhizomes and bulbs). Mesophytic. Leaves mostly deciduous; alternate; spiral (not uncommonly, e.g. Crinum), or distichous (mostly?); ‘herbaceous’; sessile, or petiolate (or almost so); sheathing; without marked odour (in particular, not onion-scented); simple. Lamina entire; linear, or lanceolate, or oblong, or ovate, or orbicular; parallel-veined; without cross-venules. Lamina margins entire. Leaves with a persistent basal meristem, and basipetal development
Distribution
Distributed primarily in warm temperate to tropical regions, most diverse in south Africa, Andean South America and the mediterranean region. Cosmopolite
Floral characters
Flowers solitary, or aggregated in ‘inflorescences’; in cymes (variously condensed), or in umbels, or in heads. The terminal inflorescence unit cymose. Inflorescences scapiflorous; cymose, but often umbels or heads by condensation; with involucral bracts (mostly with two(–8) spathelike, free or connate scales), or without involucral bracts; spatheate. Flowers regular to somewhat irregular to very irregular; when irregular, somewhat zygomorphic; 3 merous; cyclic; tetracyclic, or pentacyclic. Perigone tube present (short to long), or absent. Tepals 6 in 2 whorls(3+3, but often with a conspicuous ‘corona’, like an extra, inner whorl), free or connate into a short to long tube, stamens 6 (in Zephyra), or 6 (usually), or 9-18 (Gethyllis);, free or sometimes basally connate, ovary inferior, 3-locular, stile and stigma1.Tapetum glandular (usually), or amoeboid. Pollen grains aperturate; 1(-2) aperturate; sulcate (usually), or sulculate (Amaryllideae); 2-celled.
Systematic remarks
"Bracketed family" in APG II
Leaf characters
Basally inserted or distributed along the stem, usually linear.Stomata present; anomocytic. Lamina dorsiventral. The mesophyll containing mucilage cells (with raphides); containing calcium oxalate crystals. The mesophyll crystals raphides. Minor leaf veins without phloem transfer cells (Amaryllis, Zephyranthes). Vessels absent
Stipules
absent
Fruit characters
fleshy, or non-fleshy; dehiscent, or indehiscent; a capsule, or a berry. Capsules loculicidal. Seeds endospermic. Endosperm oily. Seeds winged, or wingless. Seeds without starch. Cotyledons 1. Embryo achlorophyllous (5/5), or chlorophyllous (two species of Haemanthus); straight. Testa encrusted with phytomelan (mostly?), or without phytomelan (e.g., Amaryllis, Hymenocallis); black (mostly), or green, or red.
Hairs
absent
Latex
absent
Uses
Many cultivated ornamentals.
Chemical characters
Cyanogenic, or not cyanogenic. Alkaloids present (amaryllid type), or absent. Proanthocyanidins absent. Flavonols present, or absent; when present, quercetin, or kaempferol and quercetin. Ellagic acid absent. Saponins/sapogenins absent. Inulin not found (Gibbs 1974). C3. C3 physiology recorded directly in Zephyranthes. Anatomy non-C4 type (Zephyranthes).
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
Tribus Allieae Dumort (Allioideae - Amaryllidaceae)
map: from Hultén 1962; de Wilde-Duyfjes 1976; Hanelt 1990; Hanelt et al. 1992; Fl. N. Am. 26: 2002, n.b. not native in Iceland
Tribus Gilliesieae Baker (Allioideae - Amaryllidaceae)
map: from Fl. N. Am. 26. 2002
Tribus Tulbaghieae Meisner (Allioideae - Amaryllidaceae)
map: from Vosa 1975
Unterfamilie Amaryllidoideae (Amaryllidaceae)
map: from Allan Meerow and O. Seberg, pers. comm.; Snijman 1984; Fl. N. Am. 26: 2002
