Hippeastrum

About swollen calyx axis defined hiding.
And the highest form crowns color lavish.
So nature shines in the highest and full appearance.
and overlapping sample, articulation of joint.
Always new surprises, Flower just around the stem
waves over light armor leaves alternate.
The metamorphosis of plants of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hippeastrum Herb. is a genus of perennial bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae comprising a 75 native to subtropical and tropical regions of America, from Argentina to Mexico and the Caribbean. These plants, cultivated worldwide for their showy flowers, are known popular, but erroneously, as Amaryllis, an African genus of Amaryllidaceae.

Hippeastrum The name derives from the Greek and means “Star Knight”, was chosen by the Rev. William Herbert in 1821 to describe the first species of the genus, Hippeastrum reginae. The etymology does not seem to be here much help to describe a particular characteristic of the species or genus concerned. Connection “equine” in the name of this genus was first performed by the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus who named “Amaryllis Equestrian” a species we now call Hippeastrum, because it looked very similar to the African species of the genus Amaryllis. What Linnaeus thought when he called “Horse amarylis” this species may never be known, however, a dimension in the description of it in a magazine of botany 1795 can shed some light on the subject. William Curtis in that magazine, describing the two parts of the spathe covering the buds commented that they “rise in a certain period of flowering plant, as if they were ears, giving every flower a strong resemblance to the head of a horse”. Apparently Linnaeus was totally in agreement with the observation of Curtis when he decided to baptize the species. Years later, Dean William Herbert, a botanist and clergyman of the nineteenth century was an authority on the amarilidáceas, realized that, despite that are superficially like-these South American plants were not closely related to the lilies of January or lilies of the Cabo (Amaryllis belladonna). For this reason, Herbert the spread of the genus Amaryllis and coined a new generic name that maintained the connection equestrian Linnaeus, although a somewhat complicated way. Herbert wrote in 1821: “The've called Hippeastrum or Lily Knight Star, Continuing with the idea that gave rise to the name equestris”. However the effort of Herbert in distinguishing both genders, Most fans of ornamental plants continue denominating amaryllis plants both the Old and the New World.

They are herbaceous, perennial bulbous. Bulb has most species of 5 a 12 cm diameter, bulb is a tunicate, concentric whose scales are formed by leaf bases widened. Produces 2 a 7 leaves 3 a 9 cm long by 2,5 a 5 cm wide. Have more or less zygomorphic flowers, hermaphrodite, great (13-20cm) and very showy. Perigonio comprises 6 tepals united in the base forming a short tube, often with a rudimentary paraperigonio, scaly. Perigonio segments are subequal or unequal. Androceo comprises 6 stamens, the filiform filaments. The anthers are dorsifijas and versatile. The ovary is inferior, trilocular, with pluriovulados lóculos. Style is filiform and stigma trífido. The flowers are arranged in inflorescences umbeliformes pauci- the plurifloras (of 2 a 14 flowers), supported by an escape hole. The scape is erect, of 20 a 75 cm depending on the species. The spathe is clamshell, with free leaflets to the base. The fruit is a capsule trishell, with black seeds. Species of the genus are generally diploid with 2n = 22 chromosomes, although species have been cited (Hippeastrum such iguazuanum) with 2n = 24 chromosomes. In general the various species of the genus are intercompatible within wide limits, indicating that it can easily cross one another and produce fertile offspring.

Some species of Hippeastrum are sterile so it can not produce seeds. An example is Hippeastrum petiolatum originally from Uruguay. This species is sexually sterile triploid produces an abundance of cloves around the bulb mother. These bulbils are able to float on water, so in the rainy season are driven by surface water currents and travel to sites away from the original bulb, ensuring not only the propagation but also the distribution of this species. On the other hand, there are species of the genus that are self-pollinated, Hippeastrum such reticulatum. This mode of reproduction, although no guarantees high genetic diversity in natural populations, allows multiplication by seed still in isolation, so it is a strategy used by many pioneer species. However, Examples provided are outstanding, because different species are generally Hippeastrum sexually fertile alógamas. In fact, have several strategies to prevent self-pollination and encourage, therefore, alogamia. So, There are self-incompatible species, meaning they can only produce seeds if they receive pollen from individuals who are not genetically related. Further, general pollen is released about two days before the stigma is receptive find, which also tends to ensure cross-pollination.

Carina

Fuente Wikipedia