The genus name Amaryllis come from the Greek word of honor " amarysso , " which means " to sparkle . " In Grecian mythology , it was the name of a shepherdess who throw off her own blood to leaven her true love , and in so doing prompt the naming of this bright red flower . Many different cultivar claim the name amaryllis and membership of the Amaryllidaceae family .
Early History
Some phytologist believe that the Portuguese probably brought the amaryllis bulb to Europe around the early 16th hundred . It is not surprising that Portugal , Spain and Italy were among the first European countries to introduce the amaryllis belladonna , as it was explorers from these countries who traveled far and wide , returning home with novel discovery to please the affluent patrons who paid for their expeditions . The presence of amaryllis deadly nightshade in places like the Canary Islands and Madeira give rise to the theory that its importation may have duplicate the history of the scratch cane trade as well as the slave trade . Amaryllis belladonna plant go far in England around the early eighteenth hundred .
Names
During the eighteenth 100 , amaryllis plant bulb were labeled as lily , which may excuse some of the common names in employment today . In South Africa , it is the March lily ; in the United Kingdom , it is the belladonna lily or the Jersey lily ; in Italy , it is name the Madonna lily . The Lusitanian name of the amaryllis intend " St. Joseph ’s Staff . " This is a reference to the caption that the staff of St. Joseph explode into bloom as a sign of his selection as the spouse of the Virgin Mary .
South American Origin
The German plant scientist Eduard Friedrich Poeppig ( 1798 to 1868 ) spent many years in Chile , where he let out the amaryllis hippeastrum rise on a hillside in the course of a plant life - hunting expedition in 1828 .
Hybridizing
Some cross of the amaryllis belladonna go on in Australia during the middle of the 19th century . A hybrid between amaryllis belladonna and brunsvigia took place at Campden Park Estate , the home plate of Sir William Macarthur ( 1800 to 1882 ) , an Australian botanist and viticulturist . Brunsvigia multiflora and amaryllis multiflora rose were among the hybrid results . Today they go by the description , x Amarygia .
Christmas Amaryllis
Holland is a major cultivator and exporter of the amaryllis , which is in especially mellow need at Christmastime for its festive colors . Dutch and South African varieties of this Christmas favorite include bright red , pinkish and blanched amaryllis flowers . Many of the vacation variety belong to the Hippeastrum genus and are native to South America . Christmas amaryllis are product of forced bloom .
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