Plant of the Month

Plant of the Month: February 2024

Amaryllis and kin

Among Earth's most popular bulbous indoor plants are Amaryllis, Clivia, and paperwhite Narcissus. Most Amaryllis sold at holidays are Hippeastrum hybrids. Amaryllis has been hybridized with Brunsvigia, Crinum, and Nerine, affording a vast new realm of beauty, some of which are cultivated commonly. Genus Amaryllis used to be conceived broadly. Now, for all practical purposes Amaryllis has become a common name; only two Amaryllis species exist.

The current consensus is that the Amaryllis family AMARYLLLIDACEÆ includes the former families ALLIACEÆ (Onions & kin) and AGAPANTHACEÆ (Agapanthus).

AMARYLLLIDACEÆ genera are all bulbous perennials with flowers clustered in umbels atop stems. They can be petite or gigantic, but the same basic arrangement prevails.

The photos below show 9 AMARYLLLIDACEÆ genera. Sometimes the flowers appear with the foliage; other times the leaves have withered or have yet to emerge from the bulb. It is for floral beauty rather than foliage that people love these plants as ornamentals. Some smell sweet also. Some are also valued medicinally. A few are eaten. Even in a restricted view of AMARYLLLIDACEÆ, most of the two dozen or so genera in my edible houseplants book draft have reported edibility. Depending on how one lumps or splits, the percentage varies from 56 to 68%. Yet various alkaloids are present in many of these plants, some toxic --even deadly. Handling bulbs can induce dermatitis sometimes. Ingesting raw bulbs or other plant parts can cause vomiting & catharsis. Some species have been used as arrow poisons or to commit suicide. Knowing what parts to eat and how to detoxify them, is vital. I cannot get into specifics in this simple introductory article.

Back