The genus
Doryanthes was first described in 1802 by the Portuguese priest, statesman, philosopher and botanist
José Francisco Corrêa da Serra (1751–1823), a close friend of
Joseph Banks.
D. excelsa or gymea lily, which is endemic to southern Sydney and the
Illawarra, inspired the naming of
Doryanthes, the journal of history and heritage for Southern Sydney founded by
Dharawal historian
Les Bursill. The family Doryanthaceae, placed in the
order Asparagales of the
monocots, has only recently been recognized by taxonomists. Formerly the genus was usually placed in the family Agavaceae, now the subfamily
Agavoideae of the family
Asparagaceae. ==References==