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: