pronounced: am-uh-rill-ih-DAY-see-eye
Amaryllis was named after a shepherdess in Greek mythology. Plants in this family are usually perennial herbs growing from a bulb with contractile roots, and some members are deciduous. The leaves are alternate and more-or-less basal, simple, usually linear or lorate, flat, entire, parallel-veined, sheathing at the base. The leaf bases may form a pseudostem. The bisexual flowers are very often showy, in umbellate inflorescences, and usually have 3 petals and 3 sepals. The fruits tend to be dry and capsule-shaped.
