Alstroemeria (), 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 and southern Argentina, the other in eastern Brazil. Species of
Alstroemeria from Patagonia 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.
Plants of this genus grow from a cluster of tubers. They send up fertile and sterile stems, the fertile stems of some species reaching 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 petals each up to 5 cm long. They come in many shades of red, orange, yellow, green, purple, pink, 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 leaf veins are parallel.
Distribution and habitat: The genus
Alstroemeria is exclusively native to South America, with various species found ranging from Venezuela (3° north of the Equator), to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (53° South). Within this range of the entire genus, two centers of species diversity are recognized, one in Brazil and one in Chile.
In Chile,
Alstroemeria is amongst the most diverse genera of vascular monocotyledons, with more than 50 recognized or accepted taxa (species, subspecies and varieties). Of these taxa, roughly 80% are endemic to the Mediterranean matorral zone of central Chile.
In Brazil, which is home to more than 40 species, most
Alstroemeria species are found outside of the Amazonian region, and are concentrated towards the south and east of the country.
Alstroemeria can be found in almost all types of habitat, from forests to savannahs, caatingas to swamps, and commonly, high altitude grasslands and rocky outcrops, with typical altitudes ranging from 300m in the Amazon, to 2300m in the Itatiaia National Park. Most Brazilian species have relatively restricted distributions.
Taxonomy: The genus was described by Johan Peter Falk and his thesis supervisor Carl Linnaeus in his 1762 dissertation
Planta Alströmeria. Linnaeus bears the botanical authority (L.).
Etymology: The genus was named after the Swedish baron Clas Alströmer (1736–1794), a friend of Linnaeus. The family name Alströmer is itself a botanical one: Swedish al ("alder") + ström ("stream").
Cultivation and uses: Many hybrids and at least 190 cultivars have been developed, featuring many 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 main breeding is done nowadays by companies in the Netherlands. The flower, which resembles a miniature lily, is very popular for bouquets and flower arrangements in the commercial cut flower trade. These delicate flowers survive up to 14 days in water without any signs of shrivelling.
Most cultivars available for the home garden will bloom in the late spring and early summer. The roots are hardy to a temperature of . The plant requires at least six hours of morning sunlight, regular water, and well-drained soil.
AGM cultivars: The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society´s Award of Garden Merit, all with a hardiness rating of H4 (Hardy – average winter ) apart from ´Friendship´ (H5: Hardy – cold winter ):
- ´Apollo´ (white/yellow flowers, 100 cm)
- ´Cahors´ (pink/yellow, 90 cm)
- ´Coronet´ (salmon/yellow flowers, 140 cm)
- ´Friendship´ (yellow flushed pink, 100 cm)
- ´Orange Glory´ (150 cm)
- ´Oriana´ (salmon/yellow, 50 cm)
- ´Phoenix´ (red/yellow, 100 cm)
- ´Red Elf´ (100 cm)
- ´Sirius´ (pink/yellow, 100 cm)
- ´Sonata´ (red/yellow, 100 cm)
- ´Spitfire´ (orange/yellow, 90 cm)
- ´Tessa´ (red flowers, 120 cm)
- ´Yellow Friendship´ (140 cm)
Ecology: Some alstroemerias have escaped cultivation and become weeds, such as
Alstroemeria pulchella. and
A. aurea, which are now weeds in Australia.
Species: | Image | Name | Distribution |
|---|
| Alstroemeria achirae | Maule]] |
| Alstroemeria albescens | Rio Grande do Sul |
| Alstroemeria altoparadisea | Goiás |
| Alstroemeria amabilis | Brazil |
| Alstroemeria amazonica | Bolívar]] |
| Alstroemeria andina | Chile, Argentina |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria angustifolia | Santiago]] |
| Alstroemeria annapolina | Goiás |
| Alstroemeria apertiflora | Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay |
| Alstroemeria aquidauanica | Mato Grosso |
| Alstroemeria arnicana | Goiás |
| Alstroemeria aulica | Valparaíso]] |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria aurea | Chile, Argentina; naturalized in New Zealand, Victoria (Australia) |
| Alstroemeria bahiensis | Bahia |
| Alstroemeria bakeri | Catamarca]] |
| Alstroemeria bilabiata | Santiago]] |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria brasiliensis | Brazil |
| Alstroemeria burchellii | Goiás |
| Alstroemeria cabralensis | Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria caiaponica | Goiás |
| Alstroemeria calliantha | Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria cantillanica | O´Higgins]] |
| Alstroemeria capixaba | Espírito Santo |
| Alstroemeria caryophyllaea | Brazil |
| Alstroemeria chapadensis | Mato Grosso |
| Alstroemeria chorillensis | Peru |
| Alstroemeria crispata | northern Chile |
| Alstroemeria cuiabana | Mato Grosso |
| Alstroemeria cultrifolia | Brasília |
| Alstroemeria cunha | Brazil |
| Alstroemeria decora | Valparaíso]] |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria diluta | Coquimbo]] |
| Alstroemeria discolor | Valparaíso]] |
| Alstroemeria douradensis | Goiás |
| Alstroemeria espigonensis | Bahia |
| Alstroemeria esteparica | Aysén]], Chile and Argentina |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria exerens | Chile, Argentina |
| Alstroemeria fiebrigiana | Bolivia |
| Alstroemeria firmulifolia | Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria foliosa | Brazil, Paraguay |
| Alstroemeria fuscovinosa | Brazil |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria garaventae | Central Chile |
| Alstroemeria gardneri | Brazil |
| Alstroemeria glaucandra | Valparaíso]] |
| Alstroemeria gouveiana | Minas Gerais |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria graminea | Antofagasta]], Atacama |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria hookeri | Coquimbo]] |
| Alstroemeria huemulina | Bío Bío]] |
| Alstroemeria ibitipocae | Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria igarapavica | São Paulo]] |
| Alstroemeria inodora | Brazil |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria isabellana | Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay |
| Alstroemeria itabiritensis | Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria jequitiana | Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria jocunda | Santiago]] |
| Alstroemeria julieae | Minas Gerais |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria kingii | Coquimbo]] |
| Alstroemeria lactilutea | Tarapacá]] |
| Alstroemeria landimana | Brasília |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria leporina | Valparaíso]] |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria ligtu, St. Martin´s flower | Peru, Chile, Argentina |
| Alstroemeria litterata | Mato Grosso |
| Alstroemeria longaviensis | Maule]] |
| Alstroemeria longistaminea | Brazil |
| Alstroemeria longistyla | Goiás, Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria lutea | Tarapacá]] |
| Alstroemeria magna | Valparaíso]] |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria magnifica | Coquimbo]] |
| Alstroemeria malmeana | Brazil |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria maxima | Brazil |
| Alstroemeria modesta | Chile |
| Alstroemeria mollensis | Coquimbo]] |
| Alstroemeria monantha | Chile |
| Alstroemeria monticola | Bahia, Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria nidularis | Maule]] |
| Alstroemeria nivea | Coquimbo]] |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria ochracea | Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria orchidioides | Brasília, Goiás |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria pallida | Chile |
| Alstroemeria paraensis | Pará |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria patagonica | southern Argentina, southern Chile |
| Alstroemeria paupercula | Peru, northern Chile |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria pelegrina, Peruvian lily | Peru, Chile |
| Alstroemeria penduliflora | Minas Gerais |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria philippii | northern Chile |
| Alstroemeria piauhyensis | Brazil |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria plantaginea | Brazil, Venezuela |
| Alstroemeria poetica | Chile |
| Alstroemeria polpaicana | Santiago]] |
| Alstroemeria polyphylla | Chile |
| Alstroemeria presliana | Chile, Argentina |
| Alstroemeria pseudospathulata | Chile, Argentina |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria psittacina | Brazil, Argentina; naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, Southeastern United States, southern Mexico, Madeira, Canary Islands |
| Alstroemeria pubiflora | Goiás |
| Alstroemeria pudica | Santiago]] |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria pulchra | Santiago]] |
| Alstroemeria punctata | Brasília, Goiás |
| Alstroemeria pygmaea | Peru, Brazil, Argentina |
| Alstroemeria radula | Brazil |
| Alstroemeria recumbens | Chile |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria revoluta | Central Chile |
| Alstroemeria ribeirensis | Paraná]] |
| Alstroemeria roseoviridis | Mato Grosso do Sul |
| Alstroemeria rupestris | Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria sabulosa | Valparaíso]] |
| Alstroemeria schizanthoides | Chile |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria sellowiana | Brazil |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria spathulata | Chile, Argentina |
| Alstroemeria speciosa | São Paulo]] |
| Alstroemeria spectabilis | Santiago]] |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria stenopetala | Goiás, Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria talcaensis | Maule]] |
| Alstroemeria timida | Santiago]] |
| Alstroemeria tombolatoana | Goiás, Minas Gerais |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria umbellata | Chile, Argentina |
| Alstroemeria variegata | Minas Gerais |
| Alstroemeria venusta | Chile |
| 120px]] | Alstroemeria versicolor | Central Chile |
| Alstroemeria virginalis | Coquimbo]] |
| Alstroemeria viridiflora | Brazil |
| Alstroemeria werdermannii | Chile |
| Alstroemeria xavantinensis | Mato Grosso |
| Alstroemeria yaelae | Santiago]] |
| Alstroemeria zoelneri | Chile |