Family: Amaryllidaceae Jaume St.-Hil.
Distribution: North American species with endemic distribution limited to south east California, south Nevada and western Arizona, which basically delineates the Mojave Desert and reaches just the northern part of Sonora Desert.
Ecology: Dry, sandy flats or rocky hills, at elevations 300–800 m. Blooms in early spring when there is enough moisture available.
Description: Perennial bulb plant; flowering plants 30–150 cm tall, from ovoid bulb, 4–6 cm. Scape erect, simple or rarely branched. Basal leaves 20–50 × 8–15 cm, with a long taper, margins heavily undulate, silvery green. Inflorescence is a 4–18-flowered raceme, 10–30 cm long; bracts 1–1.5 cm; flowers with 6 tepals, 3–4 cm long, white, on the outside with bluish lined longitudinal streaks, perianth tube 1.5–2 cm; filaments and style including stigma white, anthers yellow, exserted from the perianth. Fruit is a capsule, 12–16 mm; seeds 5 mm.
Usage: Highly ornamental plant, suitable for desert gardening. Native tribes used the bulbs for food and for its garlic flavor they called it ajo (garlic) lily.
Note: This genus is monotypic.
These images were taken in USA, Arizona, Parker (April 17, 2010).
