Zephyranthes bifida, formerly Rhodophiala bifida and commonly the oxblood lily or schoolhouse lily, is a species of bulbous, terrestrial herb in the family Amaryllidaceae native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay. it is cultivated in the Southern United States as an ornamental plant for its pink to red flowers.
Description
Vegetative characteristics Zephyranthes bifida is a 15–40 cm tall, bulbous, terrestrial herbDutilh, J. H. A., Campos-Rocha, A., Garcia, N., Streher, N. S., Semir, J., Meerow, A. W., Giussani, L. M., Oliveira, R. S., Sassone, A. B., & Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. (n.d.). Zephyranthes bifida (Herb.) Nic. García & Meerow. Flora E Funga Do Brasil. Retrieved February 6, 2025, from https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/FB611333 with ovoid to globose bulbs and green, linear, 15–30 cm long, and 3–7 mm wide leaves with an obtuse apex. Generative characteristics The androecium consists of 6 stamens. The stigma is trifid. The capsule fruit is 1.2–3 cm wide.Macaya-Berti, J., Teillier, S., & Serra, M. T. (n.d.). Zephyranthes bifida (Herb.) - Nic. Garcia & Meerow. Enciclopedia Ilustrada De Las Especies De Plantas Exóticas Que Se Cultivan En Chile. Retrieved February 7, 2025, from http://www.chlorischile.cl/enciclopedia%20macaya/enciclopedia-angiospermas/Amaryllidaceae/rhodophiala%20bifida.htm
Cytology The chromosome count is 2n = 16 or 2n = 18.
Taxonomy It was first published as Habranthus bifidus by William Herbert in 1825.Habranthus bifidus Herb. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/64596-1 Long known as and still often called Rhodophiala bifida, it was placed into the genus Zephyranthes as Zephyranthes bifida by Nicolás García Berguecio and Alan W. Meerow in 2019.Zephyranthes bifida (Herb.) Nic.García & Meerow. Plants of the World Online. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77207323-1 It is placed in the monotypic subgenus Zephyranthes subg. Neorhodophiala.García, N., Meerow, A. W., Arroyo‐Leuenberger, S., Oliveira, R. S., Dutilh, J. H., Soltis, P. S., & Judd, W. S. (2019). Generic classification of Amaryllidaceae tribe Hippeastreae. Taxon, 68(3), 481-498.
Distribution It is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay.
Cultivation Z. bifida is found in cultivation.Rhodophiala. (n.d.). Pacific Bulb Society. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/rhodophialaRhodophiala bifida - plant of the month sept 2014. (2014, September). Alpine Garden Society. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from http://archive.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/plant-portraits/Rhodophiala%20bifida%20plant%20of%20the%20month%20sept%20/98/ In the U.S., plants were first imported from Argentina popularized by a German immigrant to the Texas Hill Country. From Texas, they were distributed throughout the South as an heirloom plant. The cultivar from Texas, sometimes called 'Hill Country Red', typically has dark red flowers (hence the name oxblood lily) with flowers blooming with autumn rains before the appearance of leaves.
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