Zephyranthes rosea are perennialherbaceous monocots. They are small plants, reaching only in height. They bear five to six narrow and flattened dark greenlinear leaves, about wide, from spherical bulbs around in diameter. The single funnel-shaped flowers are borne erect or slightly inclined on scapes around long. The spathes are around long and slightly divided only at the tip. The fragrant six-petaled flowers are around in diameter and in length. The perianth is bright pink with a green central perianth tube that is less than long. The six stamens are of different lengths – one of, one of, and four between. They are shorter than the style and inserted at the mouth of the perianth. The anthers are long. The flowers develop into capsules that are divided deeply into three lobes. The seeds are shiny black and flattened.
Zephyranthes rosea are so named because they produce short-lived flowers only after seasonal heavy rains or storms. In Z. rosea, this usually occurs during the late summer. The generic nameZephyranthes literally means "flowers of the west wind", from Greek ζέφυρος and ἄνθος. Zephyrus, the Greek personification of the west wind, is also associated with rainfall. The specific name comes from Latin for 'rosy'. Other common names of Z. rosea include 'pink rain lily', 'pink fairy lily', 'pink magic lily', 'pink zephyr lily', 'rain flower', and 'rose rain lily'. It is also commonly known as duende rojo and leli de San Jose in Spanish; and rosafarbene and Windblume in German. Zephyranthes rosea is one of the two Zephyranthes species known as the 'pink rain lily'. The other species is Zephyranthes carinata, usually referred to incorrectly as Zephyranthes grandiflora. Z. carinata is often mislabeled as Z. rosea by merchants. Z. carinata can be distinguished from true Z. rosea by their much larger flowers with a deeper pink coloration. Z. rosea also has 24 chromosomes in diploidsomatic cells, in contrast to 48 in Z. carinata. Another similar species known under the same common names is Habranthus robustus. They can be differentiated from Z. rosea by having paler pink and larger flowers.
Distribution and habitat
Zephyranthes rosea is native to Peru and Colombia. It is widely planted in warmer regions around the world and is reportedly naturalized in Florida, India, the West Indies, many of the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans They are common in recently disturbed land and grassy areas that receive periodical rainfall.
Uses
Zephyranthes rosea are usually propagated by dividing clumps of bulbs, but can also be grown from seeds. They are widely cultivated as ornamental plants. They are relatively low-maintenance, becoming dormant during extended periods of drought. They are less tolerant of colder temperatures than other species of Zephyranthes, however. In India, they are also used in folk medicine, along with Zephyranthes flava.
Toxicity
The bulbs of Z. rosea, like other members of Zephyranthes and Habranthus, contain various toxic alkaloids including lycorine and haemanthamine. They can cause vomiting, convulsions, and death to humans, livestock, and poultry.
