Eucrosia mirabilis

Eucrosia mirabilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Monocots
Order:Asparagales
Family:Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily:Amaryllidoideae
Genus:Eucrosia
Species: E. mirabilis
Binomial name
Eucrosia mirabilis
(Herb.) Pax

Eucrosia mirabilis is a species of plant from Ecuador. In the original scientific description in 1869, it was believed to be from Peru, but there is little evidence it ever grew there.[1] The plant disappeared from cultivation until it was found in Ecuador in 1997.[1][2] Its natural habitats are seasonally dry lowland areas to elevations of 1500 m.[1]

It grows from bulbs around 7 cm in diameter. One to three blue-green stalked (petiolate) leaves appear after flowering, with blades (laminae) 40 cm long by 20 cm wide. About 30 zygomorphic flowers, which are yellow-green, are produced in an umbel on a 60–90 cm tall stem (scape); the stamens have prominent long white filaments. In its natural habitat, flowering is August to December. The flowers are thought to be adapted for butterfly pollination, but a single report of hummingbird visitation is recorded for this species.[2][3]

In cultivation, plants should be kept warm and dry when the leaves wither, and watered only when the flowers or leaves begin to grow again, when a sunny position is required.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mathew, Brian; Lewis, Gwilym (2006), "Eucrosia mirabilis", Curtis's Botanical Magazine, 23 (2): 157–162
  2. 1 2 3 Grossi, Alberto (2010), "Eucrosia in cultivation", The Plantsman (New Series), 9 (4): 239–244
  3. ↑ Meerow, Alan W. (1987), "A Monograph of Eucrosia (Amaryllidaceae)", Systematic Botany, 12 (4): 460–492, doi:10.2307/2418883, JSTOR 2418883
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.