Griffinia hyacinthina

Native to southeastern Brazil, this perennial herb grows from a bulb in Atlantic rainforest habitats. Plain green, elliptic to lance-shaped leaves narrow toward their bases and pointed tips. A solid, leafless flower stalk carries a cluster of lilac, funnel-shaped flowers with pale bases. Each flower has six stamens and lacks fragrance. Egg-shaped fruits develop after flowering. It grows in humid, shaded forest understory and produces small daughter bulbs that can be separated for propagation. Wild populations occur in a restricted area of the Atlantic Forest, where habitat loss has contributed to the species being assessed as endangered in Brazil. Photographed in Florida.