Amaryllidaceae - Amaryllis or vlei-lily family

Herbs with bulbs or rhizomes. Leaves in a basal rosette or fan. Scape leafless, solid or hollow. Inflorescence of 1-many flowers in an umbel-like inflorescence, subtended by an involucre of 1-many bracts and with ephemeral hyaline bracts between the flowers. Flowers showy, bisexual, 3-merous, actinomorphic (less often slightly zygomorphic). Perianth segments in 2 series of 3, free or ± united; corona sometimes present. Stamens 6. Ovary inferior, 3-locular. Fruit a capsule or berry.

Comment: According to latest phylogenetic evidence Amaryllidaceae now includes several subfamilies with genera formerly separated in different families:
- Agapanthoideae was Agapanthaceae;
- Allioideae was Alliaceae;
- Amaryllidoideae was Amaryllidaceae sensu stricto.

Worldwide: 65 genera and 725 species occurring in tropical and warm areas, notably in South Africa and the Andes.

Malawi: 7 genera and 13 taxa.