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Amaryllis (Amaryllis)

Description

“Pet poisonous” - Toxic to Dogs Amaryllis (/ˌæməˈrɪlɪs/) is the only genus in the subtribe Amaryllidinae (tribe Amaryllideae). It is a small genus of flowering bulbs, with two species. The better known of the two, Amaryllis belladonna, is a native of the Western Cape region of South Africa, particularly the rocky southwest area between the Olifants River Valley to Knysna. For many years there was confusion among botanists over the generic names Amaryllis and Hippeastrum, one result of which is that the common name "amaryllis" is mainly used for cultivars of the genus Hippeastrum, widely sold in the winter months for their ability to bloom indoors. Plants of the genus Amaryllis are known as belladonna lily, Jersey lily, naked lady, amarillo, Easter lily in Southern Australia or, in South Africa, March lily due to its propensity to flower around March. This is one of numerous genera with the common name "lily" due to their flower shape and growth habit. However, they are only distantly related to the true lily, Lilium. In the Victorian Language of Flowers (see Plant symbolism), amaryllis means "pride Amaryllis is a bulbous plant, with each bulb being 5-10 cm (2.0-3.9 in) in diameter. It has several strap-shaped, green leaves, 30-50 cm (12-20 in) long and 2-3 cm (0.79-1.18 in) broad, arranged in two rows.Each bulb produces one or two leafless stems 30-60 cm tall, each of which bears a cluster of two to twelve funnel-shaped flowers at their tops. Each flower is 6-10 cm (2.4-3.9 in) 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.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum: Magnoliophyta

        • Class: Liliopsida

          • Order: Liliales

            • Family: Liliaceae

              • Genus: Amaryllis