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Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidaceae image
eugene jercinovic  
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Amaryllidaceae is a family with 73 genera and 1,605 species worldwide. In the APG III circumscription this family includes the old families of Alliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, and what is thought to be a weakly sister clade Agapanthaceae. The latter is only found in South Africa, while the other two former families, now considered subfamilies, are worldwide. There are some shared chemical characteristics but they all share a scapose inflorescence, which is an umbellate cymose construction bearing a scarious spathe. 

Herbs from a bulb with contractile roots, sometimes with sulfurous smelling compounds and reduced stems. Leaves alternate, usually 2-ranked, basal, simple, flat to terete, entire with parallel venation and sheathing at base. Determinate inflorescence, of one or more contracted helicoid cymes, appearing as a umbel, sometimes reduced to a single flowe and subtended by a few spathelike bracts. Bisexual flowers, radial to bilateral, showy with a filiform bract, 6 tepals, distinct to connate, imbricate, corona sometimes present, 6 stamens, filaments sometimes adnate to the perianth, 3 connate carpels, inferior ovary with axile placentation, nectaries in septa of ovary. Fruit a loculicidal capsule or occasionally a berry, some have seed coat with phytomelan.

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Species within checklist: Iowa
Allium acetabulum
Image of Allium acetabulum
Allium arenicola
Image of Allium arenicola
Allium aridum
Image of Allium aridum
Allium burdickii
Image of Allium burdickii
Allium canadense
Image of Allium canadense
Allium cernuum
Image of Allium cernuum
Allium continuum
Image of Allium continuum
Allium lavandulare
Image of Allium lavandulare
Allium microscordion
Image of Allium microscordion
Allium mobilense
Image of Allium mobilense
Allium mutabile
Image of Allium mutabile
Allium perdulce
Image of Allium perdulce
Allium porrum
Image of Allium porrum
Allium reticulatum
Image of Allium reticulatum
Allium stellatum
Image of Allium stellatum
Allium textile
Image of Allium textile
Allium tricoccum
Image of Allium tricoccum
Allium tuberosum
Image of Allium tuberosum
Allium vineale
Image of Allium vineale
Allium zenobine
Image of Allium zenobine
Validallium tricoccum
Image of Validallium tricoccum