Description :

• Perennial herbs with erect, largely leafless aerial stem bearing terminal inflorescence; rhizomes not yellowish inside
• Leaves in a basal rosette, spirally arranged or distichous; erect, flat and dorsiventral, sometimes terete or triangular, linear, sheathing at base; inconspicuously parallel-veined, rarely scleromorphic, rigid or succulent; oxalate raphides widely found
• Inflorescences simple or compound racemes, or panicles, sometimes condensed into heads or clusters
• Flowers bisexual, usually regular, rarely irregular ( Chlorophytum ), hypogynous
• Perianth 3 + 3, free or basally connate into a tube, colours varying from white to blue or violet
• Stamens 3 + 3; filaments free, glabrous; anthers dorsifixed-epipeltate, or basifixed, introrse, opening longitudinally; microsporogenesis usually successive; pollen sulcate
• Ovary superior, 3-locular; placentas axile; ovules 2-many; style 1 with a small stigma
• Fruit a loculicidal capsule
• Seeds elongate, ovoid and often angled, black or white

Classification Notes:

• Steroidal saponins mostly present, but anthraquinones (which are always present in the closely related Asphodelaceae , and displayed especially by the rhizomes which are yellowish when cut) absent. Cyanogenic compounds are known in Chlorophytum. Caesia R.Br. is sometimes placed in Hemerocallidaceae

Nomenclature:

• Anthericaceae
  • Dahlgren et al.: 182 (1985)
  • Stedje & Nordal: 513 (1994)
  • Thulin: 42 (1995)
  • Nordal et al.: 1 (1997)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Genera ± 29, species ± 500, mainly Old World tropics, especially Australasia
• Southern Africa : Genera 2, species ± 40

References:

• DAHLGREN, R.M.T., CLIFFORD, H.T. & YEO, P.F. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons . Springer-Verlag, Berlin
• NORDAL, I., KATIVU, S. & POULSEN, A.D. 1997. Flora of tropical East Africa . Anthericaceae
• STEDJE, B. & NORDAL, I. 1994. A contribution to the discussion of the family delimitation of Anthericaceae versus Asphodelaceae . In J.H. Seyani & A.C. Chikuni, Proceedings of the XIIIth Plenary Meeting of AETFAT, Zomba, Malawi, 2-11 April 1991
• THULIN, M. 1995. Anthericaceae . Flora of Somalia 4

Resources:

• Key to Anthericaceae genera

• Anthericaceae genera: