Hymenocallis rotata

(Ker-Gawl.) Herbert

Spring-run Spider-lily

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.958375
Element CodePMLIL150B0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderAsparagales
FamilyAmaryllidaceae
GenusHymenocallis
Concept Reference
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2002) treats Hymenocallis rotata as endemic to Florida and with the synonym H. floridana, and H. crassifolia is a distinct species occurring mostly north of Florida (North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama), and just barely getting into north Florida. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2002) also recognizes H. tridentata as a distinct species, endemic to Florida. Weakley (2023) follows Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2002). In contrast, Kartesz (1994, 1999) put H. crassifolia and H. tridentata into H. floridana and treated H. rotata as distinct.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-10-16
Change Date2025-10-16
Edition Date2025-10-16
Edition AuthorsRosner-Katz and Soteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Hymenocallis rotata is a perennial herb found in the margins of spring-run streams and associated ditches and lakes. It is endemic to the southeastern United States where it can be found from the Florida Panhandle and northern peninsular Florida southward to central peninsular Florida. There are over 40 estimated occurrences. Little is known about threats or trends. Monitoring of populations should be conducted to improve our understanding of reproduction, plant abundance, threats, and trends, as well as continuing conservation measures to protect the species.
Range Extent Comments
Hymenocallis rotata is endemic to the southeastern United States where it can be found from the Florida Panhandle (Wakulla County) and northern peninsular Florida (Alachua, Columbia, and Duval counties) southward to central peninsular Florida (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2023). Range extent was estimated to be over 50,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 40 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, hydrological alteration, invasive species, and other threats in some places.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Hymenocallis rotata grows in the "margins of spring-run streams," including ditches and lakes (FNA 2002).

Reproduction

This species flowers from late spring to early summer (FNA 2002).
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  6. Rosner-Katz, Hanna. Personal Communication. Botanist. Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.