Left Photo = Comparison of (liliaceae) with similar species (superba), growing in the same habitat and blooming at the same time.
Pictured above is a comparison shot of the two most common species in Mexico, liliacea on the left and superba on the right. The city nestled in the mountains is Maltrata, located near Orizaba in the state of Veracruz and across the road from where the plants were found in bloom the end of July.
This genus has at least a dozen terrestrially growing members in Mexico with deciduous leaves. You can identify them to genus rapidly because of the bloated, thin membrane like sacs which are under, and from which, the expanding leaves arise. These sacs fill rapidly with water during a rain. The species I have seen, bloom normally in mid summer, during July and August. They are fairly common from Jalisco to Chiapas in undisturbed forests, growing in the soil and leaf litter.
This genus is very widespread in Mexico where drought conditions are not too extreme, such as along the gulf slope and the pacific slope where there is more rainfall due to condensation. They require between 50% and 80% shade to grow and intermediate temperatures. They are normally leafless between December and May, (the dry season).
