Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria
Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria aurea)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Alstroemeriaceae
Genus:	Alstroemeria L.
Synonyms[1]
Alstremeria, alternative spelling Ligtu Adans. Lilavia Raf. Priopetalon Raf. Schickendantzia Pax Taltalia Ehr.Bayer

Alstroemeria × hybrida in the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens

An Alstroemeria cultivar

An Alstroemeria seed pod opening

Alstroemeria 'Saturne'

Alstroemeria (/ˌælstrᵻˈmɪəriə/),commonly called the Peruvian lily or lily of the Incas, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Alstroemeriaceae. They are all native to South America although some have become naturalized in the United States, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Madeira and the Canary Islands. Almost all of the species are restricted to one of two distinct centers of diversity, one in central Chile, the other in eastern Brazil. Species of Alstroemeria from Chile are winter-growing plants while those of Brazil are summer-growing. All are long-lived perennials except A. graminea, a diminutive annual from the Atacama Desert of Chile.

Etymology

The genus was named after the Swedish baron Clas Alströmer (1736–1794) by his close friend Carl Linnaeus.

Description

Plants of this genus grow from a cluster of tubers. They send up fertile and sterile stems, the fertile stems of some species reaching 1.5 meters in height. The leaves are alternately arranged and resupinate, twisted on the petioles so that the undersides face up. The leaves are variable in shape and the blades have smooth edges. The flowers are solitary or borne in umbels. The flower has six tepals each up to 5 centimeters long. They come in many shades of red, orange, purple, green, and white, flecked and striped and streaked with darker colors. There are six curving stamens. The stigma has three lobes. The fruit is a capsule with three valves. Alstroemeria are classified as an inferior monocot, meaning the petals are located above the ovary and the leaves are parallel.^[2]

Cultivation and uses

Alstroemeria ligtu

Many hybrids and at least 190 cultivars have been developed, featuring many different markings and colors, including white, yellow, orange, apricot, pink, red, purple, and lavender. The most popular and showy hybrids commonly grown today result from crosses between species from Chile (winter-growing) with species from Brazil (summer-growing). This strategy has overcome the florists' problem of seasonal dormancy and resulted in plants that are evergreen, or nearly so, and flower for most of the year. This breeding work derives mainly from trials that began in the United States in the 1980s. The flower, which resembles a miniature lily, is very popular for bouquets and flower arrangements in the commercial cut flower trade.

Alstroemeria pelegrina

Most cultivars available for the home garden will bloom in the late spring and early summer. The roots are hardy to a temperature of 23 °F (−5 °C). The plant requires at least six hours of morning sunlight, regular water, and well-drained soil.

The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

'Apollo'[3] 'Coronet'[4] 'Friendship'[5]

'Orange Gem'[6] 'Orange Glory'[7] 'Yellow Friendship'[8]

Ecology

Some alstroemerias have escaped cultivation and become weeds, such as Alstroemeria pulchella. and A. aurea, which are now weeds in Australia.

Species

1. Alstroemeria achirae - Maule
2. Alstroemeria albescens - Rio Grande do Sul
3. Alstroemeria altoparadisea - Goiás
4. Alstroemeria amabilis - Brazil
5. Alstroemeria amazonica - Pará, Bolívar
6. Alstroemeria andina - Chile, Argentina
7. Alstroemeria angustifolia - Chile
8. Alstroemeria annapolina - Goiás
9. Alstroemeria apertiflora - Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay
10. Alstroemeria aquidauanica - Mato Grosso
11. Alstroemeria arnicana - Goiás
12. Alstroemeria aulica - Valparaíso
13. Alstroemeria aurea - Chile, Argentina; naturalized in New Zealand, Victoria (Australia)
14. Alstroemeria bahiensis - Bahia
15. Alstroemeria bakeri - Catamarca
16. Alstroemeria bilabiata - Santiago de Chile
17. Alstroemeria brasiliensis - Brazil
18. Alstroemeria burchellii - Goiás
19. Alstroemeria cabralensis - Minas Gerais
20. Alstroemeria caiaponica - Goiás
21. Alstroemeria calliantha - Minas Gerais
22. Alstroemeria cantillanica - O'Higgins
23. Alstroemeria capixaba - Espírito Santo
24. Alstroemeria caryophyllaea - Brazil
25. Alstroemeria chapadensis - Mato Grosso
26. Alstroemeria chorillensis - Peru
27. Alstroemeria crispata - northern Chile
28. Alstroemeria cuiabana - Mato Grosso
29. Alstroemeria cultrifolia - Brasília
30. Alstroemeria cunha - Brazil
31. Alstroemeria decora - Valparaíso
32. Alstroemeria diluta - Chile
33. Alstroemeria discolor - Valparaíso
34. Alstroemeria douradensis - Goiás
35. Alstroemeria espigonensis - Bahia
36. Alstroemeria exserens - Chile, Argentina
37. Alstroemeria fiebrigiana - Bolivia
38. Alstroemeria firmulifolia - Minas Gerais
39. Alstroemeria foliosa - Brazil, Paraguay
40. Alstroemeria fuscovinosa - Brazil
41. Alstroemeria garaventae - Chile
42. Alstroemeria gardneri - Brazil
43. Alstroemeria glaucandra - Valparaíso
44. Alstroemeria gouveiana - Minas Gerais
45. Alstroemeria graminea - Chile
46. Alstroemeria hookeri - Chile
47. Alstroemeria huemulina - Bío Bío
48. Alstroemeria ibitipocae - Minas Gerais
49. Alstroemeria igarapavica - São Paulo
50. Alstroemeria inodora - Brazil
51. Alstroemeria isabellana - Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay
52. Alstroemeria itabiritensis - Minas Gerais
53. Alstroemeria jequitiana - Minas Gerais
54. Alstroemeria jocunda - Santiago de Chile
55. Alstroemeria julieae - Minas Gerais
56. Alstroemeria kingii - Chile
57. Alstroemeria lactilutea - Tarapacá
58. Alstroemeria landimana - Brasília
59. Alstroemeria leporina - Chile
60. Alstroemeria ligtu - St. Martin's flower - Peru, Chile, Argentina
61. Alstroemeria litterata - Mato Grosso
62. Alstroemeria longaviensis - Maule
63. Alstroemeria longistaminea- Brazil
64. Alstroemeria longistyla - Goiás, Minas Gerais
65. Alstroemeria lutea - Tarapacá
66. Alstroemeria magna - Valparaíso
67. Alstroemeria magnifica - Chile
68. Alstroemeria malmeana - Brazil
69. Alstroemeria modesta - Chile
70. Alstroemeria mollensis - Coquimbo
71. Alstroemeria monantha - Chile
72. Alstroemeria monticola - Bahia, Minas Gerais
73. Alstroemeria nidularis - Maule
74. Alstroemeria nivea - Coquimbo
75. Alstroemeria ochracea - Minas Gerais
76. Alstroemeria orchidioides - Brasília, Goiás
77. Alstroemeria pallida - Chile
78. Alstroemeria paraensis - Pará
79. Alstroemeria patagonica - southern Argentina, southern Chile
80. Alstroemeria paupercula - Peru, northern Chile
81. Alstroemeria pelegrina - Peruvian lily - Peru, Chile
82. Alstroemeria penduliflora - Minas Gerais
83. Alstroemeria philippii - northern Chile
84. Alstroemeria piauhyensis - Brazil
85. Alstroemeria plantaginea - Brazil, Venezuela
86. Alstroemeria poetica - Chile
87. Alstroemeria polpaicana - Santiago
88. Alstroemeria polyphylla - Chile
89. Alstroemeria presliana - Chile, Argentina
90. Alstroemeria pseudospathulata - Chile, Argentina
91. Alstroemeria pubiflora - Goiás
92. Alstroemeria pudica - Santiago
93. Alstroemeria pulchella - New Zealand Christmas-bell - Brazil, Argentina; naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, Southeastern United States, southern Mexico, Madeira, Canary Islands
94. Alstroemeria pulchra - Chile
95. Alstroemeria punctata - Brasília, Goiás
96. Alstroemeria pygmaea - Peru, Brazil, Argentina
97. Alstroemeria radula - Brazil
98. Alstroemeria recumbens - Chile
99. Alstroemeria revoluta - Chile
100. Alstroemeria ribeirensis - Paraná
101. Alstroemeria roseoviridis - Mato Grosso do Sul
102. Alstroemeria rupestris - Minas Gerais
103. Alstroemeria sabulosa - Valparaíso
104. Alstroemeria schizanthoides - Chile
105. Alstroemeria sellowiana - Brazil
106. Alstroemeria spathulata - Chile, Argentina
107. Alstroemeria speciosa - São Paulo
108. Alstroemeria spectabilis - Santiago
109. Alstroemeria stenopetala - Goiás, Minas Gerais
110. Alstroemeria talcaensis - Maule
111. Alstroemeria timida - Santiago
112. Alstroemeria tombolatoana - Goiás, Minas Gerais
113. Alstroemeria umbellata - Chile, Argentina
114. Alstroemeria variegata - Minas Gerais
115. Alstroemeria venusta - Chile
116. Alstroemeria versicolor - Chile
117. Alstroemeria virginalis - Coquimbo
118. Alstroemeria viridiflora - Brazil
119. Alstroemeria werdermannii - Chile
120. Alstroemeria xavantinensis - Mato Grosso
121. Alstroemeria yaelae - Santiago
122. Alstroemeria zoelneri - Chile

References

1. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
2. Alstroemeria. Flora of North America.
3. "RHS Plant Selector Alstroemeria 'Apollo' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
4. "RHS Plant Selector Alstroemeria 'Coronet' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
5. "RHS Plant Selector Alstroemeria 'Friendship' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
6. "RHS Plant Selector Alstroemeria 'Orange Gem' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
7. "RHS Plant Selector Alstroemeria 'Orange Glory' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
8. "RHS Plant Selector Alstroemeria 'Yellow Friendship' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-30.