Sprekelia

Family Amaryllidaceae. Europe, Asia, North America, North Africa, southern Australia. In various types of water bodies, rivers, oxbow lakes, ditches, on different bottom sediments and at depths up to 1.5-2 m. When water bodies dry up, in damp places they produce terrestrial forms.

Sprekelia formosissima is the only species of this genus found in the wild. It is sometimes called the Aztec Lily because it originates from Mexico and Guatemala, and another of its names is the Templar Lily. It reached European gardens in the 16th century. Its Latin name was given by C. Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist, in honor of Spreckelsen, the mayor of Hamburg, who gave him the first such bulb. There is also another species, Sprekelia grandiflora, bred by gardeners. Very large bulbs have 2-3 scapes 30 cm high, flowering before the leaves appear. On each scape they have a single large red flower up to 15 cm in size, with a vanilla scent.