Red Spider Lily (Ungernia trisphaera)
Description
Lycoris radiata, known as red spider lily, red magic lily, or equinox flower, is a plant in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. Originally from China, Korea and Nepal, it was introduced into Japan and from there to the United States and elsewhere. It is considered naturalized in Seychelles and in the Ryukyu Islands. It flowers in the late summer or autumn, often in response to heavy rainfall. The common name hurricane lily refers to this characteristic, as do other common names, such as resurrection lily; these may be used for the genus as a whole. Lycoris radiata is a bulbous perennial. It normally flowers before the leaves fully appear, on stems 30-70 centimetres (12-28 in) tall. The leaves are parallel-sided, 0.5-1 centimetre (0.20-0.39 in) wide with a paler central stripe. The red flowers are arranged in umbels. Individual flowers are irregular, with narrow segments which curve backwards, and long projecting stamens. The bulbs of Lycoris radiata are very poisonous. These are mostly used in Japan, and they are used to surround rice paddies and houses to keep pests and mice away. That is why most of them grow close to rivers now. In Japan the red spider lily signals shūbun, the arrival of fall. Many Buddhists will use it to celebrate the arrival of fall with a ceremony at the tomb of one of their ancestors. They plant them on graves because it shows a tribute to the dead. People believe that since the red spider lily is mostly associated with death, one should never give a bouquet of these flowers.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Asparagales
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Family: Amaryllidaceae
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Genus: Ungernia
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