| Amaryllis | |
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| "Naked Lady" flowers in the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, California. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Amaryllidaceae |
| Tribe: | Amaryllideae |
| Subtribe: | Amaryllidinae |
| Genus: | Amaryllis |
| Species: | A. belladonna |
| Binomial name | |
| Amaryllis belladonna L. |
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Amaryllis (pronounced /ˌæməˈrɪləs/)[1] is a monotypic genus of plant also known as the Belladonna Lily or naked ladies. The single species, Amaryllis belladonna, is a native of South Africa, particularly the rocky southwest region near the Cape. It should not be confused with Hippeastreum, a flowering bulb commonly sold in the winter months for its ability to bloom indoors.
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Amaryllis is a bulbous plant, with each bulb being 5-10 cm in diameter. It has several strap-shaped, green leaves, 30-50 cm long and 2-3 cm broad, arranged in two rows. The leaves are produced in the autumn or early spring in warm climates depending on the onset of rain and eventually die down by late spring. The bulb is then dormant until late summer. The plant is not frost-tolerant, nor does it do well in tropical environments since they require a dry resting period between leaf growth and flower spike production.
From the dry ground in late summer (August in zone 7) each bulb produces one or two leafless stems 30-60 cm tall, each of which bears a cluster of 2 to 12 funnel-shaped flowers at their tops. Each flower is 6-10 cm diameter with six tepals (three outer sepals, three inner petals, with similar appearance to each other). The usual color is white with crimson veins, but pink or purple also occur naturally. The common name "naked lady" stems from the plant's pattern of flowering when the foliage has died down. [2]
The species was introduced into cultivation at the beginning of the eighteenth century. They reproduce slowly either by bulb division or seeds and have gradually naturalized from plantings in urban and suburban areas throughout the lower elevations and coastal areas in much of the West Coast since these environments mimic their native South African habitat.
Many bulbs sold as Amaryllis and described as 'ready to bloom for the holidays' actually belong to the allied genus Hippeastrum, despite being labeled as 'Amaryllis' by sellers and nurseries. Adding to the name confusion, some bulbs of other species with a similar growth and flowering pattern are also sometimes called this plant's common name "naked ladies". Some of those species have their own more widely used and accepted common names, such as the Resurrection Lily (Lycoris squamigera).
There is an Amaryllis belladonna × Crinum moorei cross, called × Amarcrinum [3], which have named cultivars.
The botanic name Amaryllis is taken from a shepherdess in Virgil's pastoral "Eclogues," from the Greek ἀμαρύσσω (Latin amarysso) meaning "to sparkle."[4]
As a flower symbol it has come to mean "Dramatic".
It is used as a given name for females. The plant is also known as the "Jersey Lily" after Lily Langtry.
The Herbert Medal is offered annually by the International Bulb Society and is considered the highest honor that a person can receive for noteworthy achievements in advancing the knowledge of bulbous plants. In 1951 this award was given to Mulford B. Foster for his outstanding work with amaryllis [5].
Media related to Amaryllis belladonna at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Lycoris radiata at Wikimedia CommonsAMARYLLIS (the name of a girl in classical pastoral poetry), in botany, a genus of the natural order Amaryllidaceae, containing the belladonna lily (Amaryllis Belladonna), a native of South Africa, which was introduced into cultivation at the beginning of the 18th century. This is a half-hardy bulbous plant, producing in the spring a number of strap-shaped, dull green leaves, 1-12 ft. long, arranged in two rows, and in autumn a solid stem, bearing at the top a cluster of 6-12 funnel-shaped flowers, of a rose colour and very fragrant. Several forms are known in cultivation. Most of the so-called Amaryllis of gardens belong to the allied genusHippeastrum.
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From Latin Amaryllis, a character Virgo's Eclogues < Ancient Greek ἀμαρύσσω (amarussō) "I shine"
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