AMARYLLIS, Lily-daffodil.
The Characters are;
1. AMARYLLIS spatha uniflora, corolla aequali, staminibus
declinatus. Lin. Lily-daffodil with a single Flower in each
Cover, which is equal; and declined Stamina, commonly called,
Autumnal Narcissus.
2. AMARYLLIS spatha uniflora, corolla aequali, pistillo refracto.
Lin. Lily-daffodil with a single Flower in each Sheath, which has
equal Petals, and the Pointal broken off, commonly called Atamasco-lily.
3. AMARYLLIS spatha uniflora, corolla inaequali,
genitalibus declinatis, Lin. 135. Lily-daffodil with one
Flower in each Cover, which has unequal Petals, and the Stamina
are declined, commonly called Jacobaea-lily.
4. AMARYLLIS spatha multiflora, corollis aequalibus patentissimis
revolutis, genitalibus longissimis. Lin. Lily-daffodil with many
Flowers in one Cover; the Petals equal, spread open, and turned backward,
and very long Stamina, commonly call'd Guernsey Lily.
5. AMARYLLIS spatha multiflora, corollis campanulatis aequalibus,
genitalibus declinatis. Lin. Lily-daffodil with many Flowers in
one Cover, the Petals equal and bell-shaped, and the Stamina declined;
commonly called Belladonna Lily.
6. AMARYLLIS spatha multiflora, foliis ovato-oblongis
obtusis. Flor. Leyd. Lily-daffodil with many Flowers in one Cover,
and oblong blunt Leaves, commonly called Mexican Lily.
7. AMARYLLIS spatha multiflora, corollis campanulatis
aequalibus, scapo compresso longitudini umbellae. Flor. Leyd.
Lily-daffodil with many Flowers in one Cover; the Petals equal, and the
Cover compressed the Length of the Umbel.
8. AMARYLLIS spatha; multiflora, corollis campanulatis aequalibus,
scapo tereti ancipiti. Flor. Leyd. Lily-daffodil with many
Flowers in one Cover; the Petals equal, and the Cover taper and
double-headed; commonly called Zeylon Lily.
9. AMARYLLIS spatha multiflora, foliis ciliatis. Flor.
Leyd. Lily-daffodil with many Flowers in one Cover, and the edges of
the Leaves hairy; commonly called the African scarlet Lily.
10. AMARYLLIS spatha uniflora, corollis aequali, stamnibus
erectis. Lily-daffodil with one Flower in a Cover, with equal Petals, and
erect Stamina; commonly called Spring yellow Lily-narcissus.
The third Sort, which is commonly called Jacobaea-lily, is now
become pretty common in the curious Gardens in England, the Roots sending
forth plenty of Off-sets, especially when they are kept in a moderate
Warmth in Winter: for the Roots of this Kind will live in a good
Green-house, or may be preserved through the Winter under a common
Hot-bed-frame; but they they will not flower so often, nor send out so many
Off-sets, as when they are placed in a moderate Stove in Winter. This Sort
will produce its Flowers two or three times in a Year, and is not regular
to any Season; but from March to the Beginning of September
the Flowers will be produced when the Roots are in Vigour. The Stems of
these Flowers are produced from the Sides of the Bulbs, so that after the
Flowers produced on one Side are decayed, there is another Stalk arises
from the other Side of the Bulb; but there are rarely more than two Flowers
produced on the same Stalk. These Flowers are large, and of a very deep Red;
the Under-petals (of Flower-leaves) are very large and the whole Flower
stands nodding on one Side of the Stalk, making a beautiful Appearance.
This should be called the Mexican Lily, rather than the other, so
named by the Gardeners; this being a Native of Mexico, whereas the
other is common to all the Islands in the West Indies.
It is propagated by Off-sets, which may be taken off every Year: the best
time to shift and part these Roots is in August, that they may take
good Root before Winter: in doing of this, there should be care taken not
to break off the Fibres from their Roots. They should be planted in Pots of
a middling Size, filled with light Kitchen-garden Earth; and if they are
kept in a moderate Degree of Warmth, they will produce their Flowers in
plenty, and the Roots will make great Increase.
The sixth sort, which is commonly called the Mexican Lily, is not
quite so hardy as the former Sort, so must be planted in a warm Stove; and
if the Pots are plunged into an Hot-bed of Tanners Bark, the Roots will
thrive better, and the Flowers will be strong. This Sort is increased by
Off-sets, as the others of this Tribe; and it flowers usually the
Beginning of Spring, when it makes a fine Appearance in the Stove: it is
known in the West Indies by the name of Red-lily.
The fifth Sort, which is called the Belladonna-lily, was brought
to England from Portugal, where the Gardens abound with these
Flowers; for the Roots increase very fast, especially in such Countries
where they live in the open Air. The Gardens in Italy have also
great Quantities of these Flowers, especially about Florence; where,
at the Season of their flowering, they are commonly sold in the Markets to
adorn their Rooms: the Italians call it Narcissus
Belladonna. This Plant thrives so well in Italy, as to need no
other Culture than the common Lily; and although it does not flower until
August, yet it commonly produces good Seeds in that Country, from
which they propagate them in great plenty; but with us they require to be
planted in Posts fill'd with light fresh Earth, and in Winter they must be
shelter'd, to prevent their Leaves from being destroy'd by the Frost,
which, if it does not quite kill their Roots, will so weaken them, as that
they will not recover Strength to flower in several Years after, though you
should attend them with ever so much Care. This Plant produces its Flowers
in September, and the green Leaves come up soon after, and abide
all the Winter and Spring until May, at which time they decay, soon
after which the Roots should be transplanted; for it they are let stand
till July, they will have set forth new Fibres, when it will
greatly injure the Roots, if they are disturb'd. If some of these Roots are
planted in a warm Border, close to a South Wall, and on a dry Soil, they
will thrive very well, especially if they are covered in severe Frost; and
these Roots will flower much stronger than those which are kept in Pots,
and will multiply faster.
It is interesting to note that the Mexican Lily "is common to all the
Islands in the West-Indies", and was not considered a new species as Sealy
(1939) claimed. In 1741 Miller still called the West Indies Red Lily by
Sloane's name, Lilio-Narcissus; polyanthos, flore incarnato, fundo ex
luteo albescente. In the present edition he gave it the Flor.
Leyd. phrase-name for the plant Linnaeus later named Amaryllis
orientalis, and which Heister called Brunsvigia gigantea.
Miller's use of phrase-names was inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate, but
useful as an indication of some contemporary confusion.
In 1753, Heister published his monograph on the genus Brunsvigia. In
that work he made the remarkable statement that Merian had depicted
Ferrari's plant. However, the plant in question was his Brunsvigia
gigantea (=orientalis L), and the painter was not Maria Sibylla,
but her father Matthäus (Mathia). Whether Miller had some advance
notice of Heister's 1753 publication remains to be determined.
Dr. Linnaeus has changed the Name of this Genus from
Lilio-narcissus, which is a compound Name, to Amaryllis;
which was applied by Pliny to one Species of this Genus.
The Spatha or Cover, which incloses the Umbel, is of one Leaf: the
Flower consists of six Petals or Leaves, and is of the Lily-shape, having
six Stamina surrounding the Pointal: the stigma is trifid.
Linnaeus's phrase-name for the Scarlet Belladonna is here associated with
the Cape Belladonnas (Portuguese & Italian). Sloane is not mentioned, but
by 1755, at the latest, Miller would write that Sloane had collected Cape
Belladonnas in Barbados.