Hippeastrum puniceum

Read about Hippeastrum puniceum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Hippeastrum equestre, Herb. (Amaryllis equestris, Ait.). Barbados Lily. Bulb globular, 2 in. diam., producing offsets freely, with brown scales and a short neck: lvs. 6-8, developing fully after the fls., 12-20 in. long and becoming about 2 in. wide, narrowed to the point: scape 1-2 ft., terete, glaucous; fls. 2-4, 4-5 in. across, the green tube 1 in. long, the scgms. obovate-pointed, bright red with green at the base, the 3 inner ones narrower than the outer; stamens shorter than the perianth. Mex. to Chile and Brazil. B.M. 305. G.W. 9, p. 368.—An old garden species, one of the best for winter and spring blooming. There are several garden forms and hybrids, with larger and better fls. Var. splendens, Truff., R. H. 1895:578 (var. walteri, Wittm., Gt. 44. 1418), is larger in all its parts, fls. red, and the pedicels are longer. Var. fulgidum, Hort. (not H. fulgidum, Herb.), has brilliant orange segms. margined with white. Var. ignescens, Hort., is deep clear scarlet, with white throat and white bars on the segms. Var. major, Hort., has very large, bright orange fls., with a green central star. B.R. 234. H. roezlii, Regel, H. pyrrochroum, Lem., I.H. 11:420, and H. spathaceum, Sims, B.M. 2315, are regarded by Baker as forms of this species. There are double-fld. forms. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.