Terrestrial bulbous perennial herbaceous plants, although three species of Hippeastrum are epiphytic.

The flowers, which may be sessile or pedicellate have a perigone that is actinomorphic to highly zygomorphic, and is tubular, campanulate or infundibulorm in shape.

When a paraperigone is present it consists of basal appendages that are diminutive, membranous, bristle-like, and forming a fimbriate-lacerate or callose ring, partly adnate to the throat of the perigone, surrounding the fascicle of the stamen.

Historical distribution of genera: The genera and (number of species) were as follows:[4][2] Formerly included, now subtribe Traubiinae: Following a decision to include Tocantinia within Hippeastrum as a subgenus,[5] a major recircumscription of the Hippeastrae was undertaken in 2019, resulting in recognition of only two genera in Hippeastrinae, most of the remainder being submerged into various subgenera of Zephyranthes;[6] Mainly subtropical and tropical regions of South America, the Greater Antilles, Mexico, and the southern United States.

Core-Rhodophiala species are distributed in Mediterranean Chile, including the lowlands and high-Andes as well as high Andean areas of Argentina, and also the Atacama Desert.