Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Liliales
Family: Alstroemeriaceae
Genus: Alstroemeria
L.
Alstroemeria (syn. Alstremeria), commonly called the Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas, is a South American genus of about 50 species of flowering plants. 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. (Taltalia) graminea, a diminutive annual from the Atacama Desert of Chile.
The genus was named for the Swedish baron Clas Alströmer (Claus von Alstroemer) by his close friend Carolus Linnaeus. The plant was first described by the French botanist Louis Feuillée. The plant's seeds were among many collected by Alströmer on a trip to South America in 1753.
The plants are distinctive vegetatively, with a rootstock consisting of a slender rhizome or group of rhizomes (the "crown"). Storage roots consist of sausage-like water storing structures "suspended" from the rhizome by major roots. In this way the root system resembles that of dahlias. Above-ground shoots may be very short in some alpine Andean species (a few cm tall) or up to about 1.5 m tall in other species. Each year (more often in some hybrids) up to 80 new shoots are produced from the rootstock and each terminates in an umbel of a few up to 10 or so flowers.
Perhaps the most fascinating- and telltale- morphological trait of Alstroemeria and its relatives is the fact that the leaves are resupinate, that is, they twist from the base so that what appears to be the upper leaf surface is in fact the lower leaf surface. This very unusual botanical feature is easily observed in the leaves on cut flowers from the florist.
The flowers of Alstroemeria are generally showy and appear to be suited to pollination by bees (?). All six tepals (tepal denotes either petal or sepal when both are similar, as in lilies, amaryllis, etc.) are roughly similar. In some species two tepals are enlarged and vividly colored and act as "flags" for pollination. The ovary is inferior and the seeds are hard and rounded.
See also Bomarea, the other major genus in the Alstroemeriaceae. They are essentially twining alstroemerias (though some species are upright), with most species occurring in the Andes.
Selected species
Alstroemeria aurea - Lily of the Incas.
Alstroemeria aurantiaca - Peruvian Lily (synonym of Alstroemeria aurea Graham, 1833
Alstroemeria caryophyllaea - Brazilian Lily
Alstroemeria haemantha - Purplespot Parrot Lily (synonym of Alstroemeria ligtu subsp. ligtu)
Alstroemeria ligtu - Lily-of-the-Nile
Alstroemeria psittacina - Lily of the Incas, White-edged Peruvian Lily (synonym of Alstroemeria pulchella, L.]
Alstroemeria pulchella - Parrot Lily, Parrot Flower, Red Parrot Beak, New Zealand Christmas Bell
Cultivation and uses
Alstroemeria ligtu
Many hybrids and about 190 cultivars have been developed, with different markings and colors, ranging from white, golden yellow, orange, to 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 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. They have a vase life of about two weeks. It is sometimes called 'Ulster Mary' (as a word corruption).
Other accepted names
Alstroemeria achirae
Alstroemeria altoparadisea
Alstroemeria amabilis
Alstroemeria amazonica
Alstroemeria andina
*Alstroemeria andina subsp. andina
*Alstroemeria andina subsp. venustula
Alstroemeria angustifolia
Alstroemeria angustifolia subsp. angustifolia
Alstroemeria angustifolia subsp. velutina
Alstroemeria annapolina
Alstroemeria apertiflora
Alstroemeria aquidauanica
Alstroemeria arnicana
Alstroemeria aulica
Alstroemeria aurea
Alstroemeria bahiensis
Alstroemeria bakeri
Alstroemeria bilabiata
Alstroemeria brasiliensis
Alstroemeria burchellii
Alstroemeria cabralensis
Alstroemeria caiaponica
Alstroemeria cantillanica
Alstroemeria capixaba
Alstroemeria caryophyllaea
Alstroemeria chapadensis
Alstroemeria chorillensis
Alstroemeria crispata
Alstroemeria cuiabana
Alstroemeria cultrifolia
Alstroemeria cunha
Alstroemeria decora
Alstroemeria diluta
Alstroemeria diluta subsp. chrysantha
Alstroemeria diluta subsp. diluta
Alstroemeria discolor
Alstroemeria douradensis
Alstroemeria espigonensis
Alstroemeria exserens
Alstroemeria fiebrigiana
Alstroemeria firmulifolia
Alstroemeria foliosa
Alstroemeria fuscovinosa
Alstroemeria garaventae
Alstroemeria gardneri
Alstroemeria glaucandra
Alstroemeria gouveiana
Alstroemeria graminea
Alstroemeria hookeri
Alstroemeria hookeri subsp. cummingiana
Alstroemeria hookeri subsp. hookeri
Alstroemeria hookeri subsp. maculata
Alstroemeria huemulina
Alstroemeria ibitipocae
Alstroemeria igarapavica
Alstroemeria inodora
Alstroemeria isabellana
Alstroemeria itabiritensis
Alstroemeria itatiaica
Alstroemeria jequitiana
Alstroemeria jocunda
Alstroemeria julieae
Alstroemeria kingii
Alstroemeria lactilutea
Alstroemeria landimana
Alstroemeria leporina
Alstroemeria ligtu
Alstroemeria ligtu subsp. incarnata
Alstroemeria ligtu subsp. ligtu
Alstroemeria ligtu subsp. simsii
Alstroemeria ligtu subsp. splendens
Alstroemeria litterata
Alstroemeria longaviensis
Alstroemeria longistaminea
Alstroemeria longistyla
Alstroemeria lutea
Alstroemeria magna
Alstroemeria magnifica
Alstroemeria magnifica subsp. gayana
Alstroemeria magnifica subsp. magenta
Alstroemeria magnifica subsp. magnifica
Alstroemeria magnifica subsp. maxima
Alstroemeria magnifica subsp. tofoensis
Alstroemeria malmeana
Alstroemeria modesta
Alstroemeria mollensis
Alstroemeria monantha
Alstroemeria monticola
Alstroemeria nidularis
Alstroemeria nivea
Alstroemeria ochracea
Alstroemeria orchidioides
Alstroemeria oreas
Alstroemeria pallida
Alstroemeria patagonica
Alstroemeria paupercula
Alstroemeria pelegrina
Alstroemeria penduliflora
Alstroemeria philippii
Alstroemeria piauhyensis
Alstroemeria plantaginea
Alstroemeria poetica
Alstroemeria polpaicana
Alstroemeria polyphylla
Alstroemeria presliana
Alstroemeria presliana subsp. australis
Alstroemeria presliana subsp. presliana
Alstroemeria pseudospathulata
Alstroemeria pubiflora
Alstroemeria pudica
Alstroemeria pulchella
Alstroemeria pulchra
* Alstroemeria pulchra subsp. lavandulacea
* Alstroemeria pulchra subsp. pulchra
Alstroemeria punctata
Alstroemeria pygmaea
Alstroemeria radula
Alstroemeria recumbens
Alstroemeria revoluta
Alstroemeria ribeirensis
Alstroemeria roseoviridis
Alstroemeria rupestris
Alstroemeria sabulosa
Alstroemeria schizanthoides
Alstroemeria sellowiana
Alstroemeria spathulata
Alstroemeria speciosa
Alstroemeria spectabilis
Alstroemeria stenopetala
Alstroemeria talcaensis
Alstroemeria timida
Alstroemeria tombolatoana
Alstroemeria umbellata
Alstroemeria variegata
Alstroemeria venusta
Alstroemeria versicolor
Alstroemeria virginalis
Alstroemeria viridiflora
Alstroemeria werdermannii
Alstroemeria werdermannii var. flavicans
Alstroemeria werdermannii var. werdermannii
Alstroemeria xavantinensis
Alstroemeria yaelae
Alstroemeria zoelneri.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alstromeria
