Atamasco Lily
Zephyranthes atamasca

Simple and pure, atamasco lilies were among the first of many beautiful wildflowers to
be noticed by the Jamestown colonists as they explored the tidewater region of southeastern Virginia.
Description
Atamasco lily is a perennial herb that grows from a subterranean bulb. The bulb is dark, with a short neck and papery tunic formed by remnants of old leaf bases. Leaves are glossy green, linear, flat to somewhat concave, up to one half inch wide, approximately one foot in length and, overall, rather grasslike. When not in flower the plants can be easily overlooked. Flowering stems are leafless scapes that are about as long as the leaves. In crosssection the scapes are hollow. Each scape terminates in a single flower. A few papery bracts subtend the flower stalk where it attaches to the tip of the scape.

Read more about the Zephyranthes atamasca [PDF 167k]

Other images