Amana is a small genus of flowering bulbs in the lily family (Liliaceae), belonging to the order Liliales within the monocots. It is placed in subfamily Lilioideae and tribe Lilieae. The genus is closely related to Erythronium (trout lilies) and Tulipa (tulips), with some molecular phylogenetic studies suggesting Amana may be embedded within Erythronium, though this is not fully resolved across all genetic datasets.
The genus was described by the Japanese botanist Masaji Honda in 1935, with Amana edulis as the type species. As of 2026, Plants of the World Online accepts 13 species, all native to East Asia. Most species are endemic to China, while A. edulis ranges across China, Japan, and Korea, and A. erythronioides occurs in China and Japan. Three species now placed in Amana were formerly classified within Tulipa: A. anhuiensis, A. edulis, and A. erythronioides.
Like their tulip and trout-lily relatives, Amana species are spring-flowering geophytes that grow from bulbs. They are herbaceous perennials producing solitary, typically white or pale flowers with six tepals. The genus is distinguished from Tulipa by morphological characters including style length and stigma shape, and from Erythronium by tepal morphology and the absence of distinctly mottled leaves in most species.
Etymology
The genus Amana was established by Japanese botanist Masaji Honda in 1935, published in the Bulletin of the Biogeographical Society of Japan. The name "Amana" is the Japanese vernacular name for the type species Amana edulis, which has long been recognized in Japanese traditional botany. The species epithet edulis refers to the edibility of its bulbs, which were historically consumed in parts of East Asia.
Distribution
Amana is an East Asian genus, with its entire native range confined to China, Japan, and Korea. The majority of the 13 recognized species are endemic to China, with several known from single provinces such as Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu. Two species have broader ranges: Amana edulis occurs across all three countries (China, Japan, and Korea), while Amana erythronioides is found in both China (Anhui, Zhejiang) and Japan (Musashi, Ise, Mie provinces).
Taxonomy
Amana sits within Liliaceae subfamily Lilioideae tribe Lilieae, alongside its closest relatives Tulipa and Erythronium. Molecular phylogenetic studies have produced conflicting signals: some analyses place Amana as sister to Tulipa, while others recover it nested within Erythronium. This ambiguity is reflected in historical taxonomy — three currently accepted Amana species (A. anhuiensis, A. edulis, A. erythronioides) were originally described under Tulipa. The genus was erected by Honda in 1935 and is accepted by Plants of the World Online as of 2026 with 13 species. GBIF records only 1 descendant for the genus, reflecting incomplete coverage of recent taxonomic revisions.
History
The genus Amana was described by Japanese botanist Masaji Honda (1897–1984) in 1935 in the Bulletin of the Biogeographical Society of Japan (volume 6, page 20). Honda segregated it from Tulipa based on morphological differences. For decades the genus remained largely unrecognized outside Japan, with most species retained in Tulipa by other authorities. Modern molecular phylogenetics and taxonomic revision — particularly work by Chinese botanists Tan, Hong, and others in the 2000s and 2010s — have led to broader acceptance of Amana, with Plants of the World Online now recognizing 13 species across East Asia.
