Echeandia Ortega, commonly called crag-lilies, is a genus of roughly 78–90 species of herbaceous perennial monocots in the family Asparagaceae (order Asparagales), placed within the century-plant subfamily Agavoideae. The genus is entirely New World in distribution, ranging from the south-western United States and Mexico through Central America and into north-western Argentina, southern Bolivia, and southern Peru, with its greatest diversity in Mexico.
Plants grow from corms and fleshy, enlarged storage roots — adaptations that allow them to survive seasonal drought and poor rocky soils. The narrow, grass-like leaves are arranged in basal rosettes. Flowers are borne on loose racemes and come in yellow, orange, white, or cream, giving the plants an open, airy appearance in bloom.
The genus was established by the Spanish botanist Casimiro Gómez Ortega and named in honour of his compatriot Pedro Gregorio Echeandía (1746–1817), a Spanish naturalist and botanist. The common name "craglily" reflects the rocky, often montane habitats many species favour.
Etymology
The genus name Echeandia honours the Spanish botanist Pedro Gregorio Echeandía (1746–1817). It was established by Casimiro Gómez Ortega (authorship: Ortega). The common name "craglily" alludes to the rocky habitats many species occupy.
Distribution
Echeandia species range from the south-western United States south through Mexico and Central America, reaching north-western Argentina, southern Bolivia, and southern Peru at the southern limit of their range. The genus reaches its greatest diversity in Mexico.
