Amaryllidaceae
are a moderately large family of lily-like plants. They include
several common garden plants. The daffodil (Narcissus
pseudonarcissus (formerly known as N. gracile)) is a common garden plant that has become naturalised in
Tasmania. The leaves are flat up to 50cm long and 5-15mm wide and
occur at the base of the plant. The flowers are solitary, yellow, with six
petals/sepals and a petaloid tube inside the petals/sepals.
Polyanthus (N. tazetta), often commonly called jonquil, is
also a very common garden plant that is quite widely naturalised,
especially on or near old garden sites. It has several flowers in the
inflorescence, and much smaller coronas than daffodils. The petals
and sepals are usually white, but may be yellow in cultivation. This
family was once considered to be part of Liliaceae, which was
a very artificial grouping of plants and has therefore been
splintered in numerous families. To see the fates of the other
Tasmanian genera formerly in Liliaceae click
here. |