388 
THE ALSTROIMERIA, ITS VARIETIES AND CULTIVATION. 
world and its different regions ; in one part 
studded with diverse vegetable forms, and in 
the other even with variations in these created 
beings. This subject will, no doubt, some day 
be examined more particularly. 
THE SPECIES OF ALSTECEMEKIA. 
The genus Alstroemeria is characterized, 
at the present day, as follows : — 
Alstr(emeria, Linnceus. — Perianth, six- 
petalled, subcampanulate, regular, or nearly 
bilabiate, the interior petals narrower, and 
somewhat tubular near the base. Stamens 
six, inserted at the base of the perigonium ; 
filaments erect or recurved ; anthers oval, 
straight. Ovary inferior, three-celled. Ovules 
numerous, horizontal, anatropal. Style fili- 
form ; stigma trifid, with three replicate 
Icbes. Capsules oblong or globulai', with three 
or six ribs. 
All the Alstroemerias are herbs belonging 
to South America, or the intertropical parts 
of America and Australia. They are charac- 
terized by tuberous fasciculate roots, with a 
leafy stem, which is straight, climbing, or 
twining ; and having their flowers termi- 
nal in umbels. The genus is divided into 
two sections : 1st, those -with a straight or 
nearly straight stem ; 2d, those which have 
climbing or twining stems, M. Mirbel, see- 
ing that the first had erect or declined (bend- 
ing) stamens, and oblong or globular capsules, 
formed a separate genus of them, to which he 
preserved the name of Alstroemeria ; while 
the second, having a depressed globular cap- 
s.ule, he considered as constituting another or 
distinct genus, Bomarea, in memory of Val- 
mont de Bomare, the author of a Dictionary 
well known in Natural History. These sec- 
tions are everywhere adopted as natural, but 
the proposition to form them into separate 
genera has not been entertained. At the 
present day nearly sixty species of Alstroe- 
merias are known ; from which several true 
hybrids have been obtained ; while others 
have produced varieties almost without limits; 
so that the genus has become in the hands of 
growers one of the richest and most interest- 
ing that can be cultivated for the oinament 
of the garden or greenhouse. We think it 
proper to give an enumeration of the species; 
because it has been pretended that they were 
for the most part merely nominal ; that they 
were simple varieties obtained from the seed 
even of a single species. This opinion, which 
is evidently controverted by facts, was espe- 
cially maintained, in 1842, by M. Jacques, 
Principal in the Gardens at the Chateau de 
Neuilly. 
§ Stem straight, or nearly so. 
1. Alstrcemeria pelegrina, Linnaeus (spot- 
ted-flowered Alsiroemeria). — Stem straight 
erect; leaves linear-lanceolate, contorted; flow- 
ers from two to six; exterior petals obcordate, 
acuminate. Herbaceous. Oiiginally from Peru 
and Chili ; introduced in 1762 to Cadiz, and 
propagated by Claude Alstrcemer. Its stem 
attains a height of two feet. The flowers are 
charming, of a rosy purple, green at the ex- 
tremity, and bright red at the centre. May be 
grown in the open ground under a frame, or 
in the greenhouse in winter. Flowers in July. 
2. Alstrcemeria Hookeriana, Schultes 
(Hooker's Alstrcemeria). — This is known in 
England under the name of A. rosea, a name 
given to it by Sir William J. Hooker in his 
Flora exotica. Its stem is straight and ver- 
rucose or warty ; the leaves are linear, glau- 
cous, nearly twisted ; flowers about six in the 
umbel, the leaflets of the perianth recurved, 
campanulate, sub -dentate, the three outer 
ones obovate-spathulate,the three inner linear- 
spathulate. Herbaceous. Native of Chili. 
The flowers at the exterior are purple, and 
spotted with purple of a deeper hue ; two 
petals have a yellow line above the middle. 
Flowers in July, and is best grown in a stove. 
Introduced in 1822. 
3. Alstroemeria jmlchra, Sims (fair Al- 
stroemeria). — Leaves linear-lanceolate; pe- 
duncles partially umbellate, with involucres, 
three-flowered ; pedicels twisted, outer petals 
obcordate. This species has been called 
A. Flos Martini in the But. Reg.; and A. 
tricolor by Hooker. Herbaceous. Native of 
Chili. The four outer petals have a deep 
purple spot, and a white callosity at the sum- 
mit ; the two inner ones are white, with a 
broad purple band, parted in streaks towards 
the summit, which is yellow, and marked 
with purple lines and small yellow points or 
dots. Plowers in June, and is best grown in 
a greenhouse, or the open border. [Intro- 
duced in 1822.] 
4. Alstroemeria jndchella, Linnaeus (pretty 
Alstroemeria). — Leaves sessile, pedicels shorter 
than the involucre; perianth reflexed, open; 
all the petals pointed. There is a hairy va- 
riety of it. Herbaceous. Native of South 
America. The petals are white, red at the 
summit, striated at the base or spotted with 
purple. This is considered as a variety of 
A. pallida (Graham), and ^. A'"e«7Zu (Gillies), 
which, according to the Flore des Serres, 
form one single species, a But this opinion 
cannot be sustained, as an inspection of the 
leaves, which are quite different, completely 
destroys it, even without reference to the 
character of the stem and the flowers. This 
species flowers in June, and may be grown in 
a greenhouse or in a bed in the open border. 
5. Alstrcemeria Ligtu, Ruiz and Pavon 
(Ligtu). — Stem straight, leaves lanceolate, 
linear ; flowers in umbels ; petals nearly 
