Androstephium breviflorum

Family: Liliaceae – Lily Family

Short perennial herbs at Arches National Park; from bulbs; stems annual; monocot

Leaves: parallel veined; mainly alternate; simple; narrow and grasslike; 1 to 3 leaves

Flowers: 3 white or purple petals; 3 petaloid sepals; bisexual; 6 stamens; 1 pistil; radially symmetrical; umbels with 3 to 8 flowers; flowers 0.48” to 0.84” (12 to 21 mm) long

Pollinators: other Androstephium species are pollinated by insects

Fruits: 3 chambered capsule; seeds black

Blooms in Arches National Park: April, May

Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities

Location seen: Park Avenue, Broken Arch trail, Windows, Fiery Furnace, Lost Spring Canyon

Other: The genus name, “Androstephium”, is from the Greek "andros" meaning “stamen” and “stephanos” meaning “crown” referring to the apical appendages of the united filaments. The species name, “breviflorum”, means “short flowers”.

Yucca and aloe used to be in this family. The family is extremely complex. Some ornamentals and medicinally useful plants are in this family, but a few species are poisonous.