About Hymenocallis littoralis (Jacq.) Salisb.
Hymenocallis littoralis (Jacq.) Salisb. is a bulbous perennial herb. Mature plants reach a height of 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 inches). Its bulb measures 7 to 10 cm (2.8 to 3.9 inches) in diameter; as the bulb ages, it grows a neck that reaches 4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2.0 inches) in diameter. The species produces large, white, vanilla-scented sessile flowers. Its tepals are adnate, meaning they are attached to the staminal cup. Each flower tube is 14 to 17 cm (5.5 to 6.7 inches) long, or sometimes longer. Its most unusual trait is its succulent seeds, which can be up to 90 percent water by weight. This species is considered native to Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. It has become naturalized in Angola, the Bismarck Archipelago, Cameroon, Cape Verde, the Caroline Islands, the Central African Republic, the Chagos Archipelago, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, French Guiana, The Gambia, the Gilbert Islands, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, the Gulf of Guinea Islands, Hawaii, India, Java, the Line Islands, Marianas, Marquesas, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Nauru, Nigeria, Niue, Ogasawara-shoto, the Philippines, Samoa, the Seychelles, the Society Islands, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tonga, Wake Island, Malaysia, Zaire, and Zambia.
