Commemorating a beautiful Roman actress, the mistress of Mark Anthony.

Herbaceous perennial with bulbs. Leaves slender, strap-like, appearing after the flowers. Flower clusters on solid stalks. Perianth segments free or united into a short tube. Lobes equal, spreading or bent back and with minute scales. Stamens attached at the throat of the flower. Spathes 2, free. Ovary inferior, 3-chambered. Fruit a capsule containing a few round black seeds.

Grown for the attractive colouful spidery flowers.

Offsets.

Flower stem solid; ovules 1-3 per ovary chamber; spathes 2; perianth lobes spreading; flower tube curved.

11-20 species from E Asia.

Adams (1976).

Source: Spencer, R.; Hay, A.; Ashburner, W. (2005). Amaryllidaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.