Eucharis (plant)

Eucharis is a genus of about 15-20 species of neotropical plants in the Amaryllis family,[3] native to Central America and South America, from Guatemala south to Bolivia. Some species have become naturalized in Mexico, the West Indies, and scattered tropical islands.[2][4] The English name Amazon lily is sometimes used for all species in the genus (as well as other genera),[5] but is particularly used for Eucharis amazonica and Eucharis × grandiflora, which are often confused.[6]

Eucharis
Eucharis candida[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Eucharis
Planch. & Lind.
Type species
Eucharis candida
Synonyms[2]

Microdontocharis Baill.

Description

Eucharis is a perennial with a bulb 2–6 cm (1–2 in) in diameter. The broad-stalked leaves are 20–55 cm (8–22 in) long and 10–20 cm (4–8 in) broad. The large showy white flowers are borne in an umbel of three to ten on an erect scape 40–80 cm (16–31 in) long. The flowers resemble narcissus flowers in having a prominent central cup or corona, which is sometimes tinged with green.[7][8]

Cultivation and uses

Eucharis amazonica and the hybrid Eucharis × grandiflora are the best-known and most generally cultivated species.[9]

It is propagated by removing the offsets, which may be done in spring, potting them singly in 15 cm pots. It requires good loamy soil, with enough sand to keep the compost open, and should have a good supply of water. A temperature of 18° to 20 °C during the night, and rising to 25 °C in the day. During summer growth is to be encouraged by repotting, but the plants should afterwards be slightly rested by removal to a night temperature of about 15 °C, water being withheld for a time, though they must not be left dry for too long, the plant being an evergreen. By the turn of the year they may again have more heat and more water, and this will probably induce them to flower.[9]

With a stock of the smaller plants to start them in succession, it is possible to have plants in flower all the year round.[9]

A hybrid has been raised between Eucharis and the allied genus Urceolina and given the hybrid name ×Urceocharis.[10]

Species

Accepted species

The following are species which are currently included within this genus.[2][11]

  1. Eucharis amazonica Linden ex Planch. - Perú; naturalized in México, Venezuela, Central America, West Indies, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Ascension Island, Society Islands
  2. Eucharis astrophiala (Ravenna) Ravenna - Ecuador
  3. Eucharis bakeriana N.E.Br. - San Martín Region of Perú
  4. Eucharis bonplandii (Kunth) Traub - Colombia
  5. Eucharis bouchei Woodson & P.Allen - Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panamá
  6. Eucharis candida Planch. & Linden - Colombia, Ecuador, Perú
  7. Eucharis castelnaeana (Baill.) J.F.Macbr. - Colombia (Amazonas), Peru (Loreto), Brazil (Amazonas)
  8. Eucharis caucana Meerow - Colombia
  9. Eucharis corynandra (Ravenna) Ravenna - Cajamarca Region of Perú
  10. Eucharis cyaneosperma Meerow - Bolivia (La Paz + Beni), Perú, Brazil (Amazonas + Acre)
  11. Eucharis formosa Meerow - Colombia, Ecuador, Perú
  12. Eucharis × grandiflora Planch. & Linden - Colombia, Ecuador
  13. †Eucharis lehmannii Regel - Cauca Department in Colombia but extinct
  14. Eucharis moorei (Baker) Meerow - Ecuador, Perú
  15. Eucharis oxyandra (Ravenna) Ravenna - Huánuco Region of Perú
  16. Eucharis plicata Meerow - Perú (San Martín), Bolivia (Beni)
  17. Eucharis sanderi Baker - Colombia
  18. Eucharis ulei Kraenzl. - Colombia (Amazonas), Perú, Bolivia (La Paz, Beni, Pando), Brazil (Amazonas + Acre)

Formerly Included

Several plants that were once placed within the genus Eucharis have since been reclassified to other genera (Caliphruria, Mathieua and Plagiolirion).[2]

  • Eucharis fosteri - Caliphruria subedentata
  • Eucharis galanthoides - Mathieua galanthoides
  • Eucharis hartwegiana - Caliphruria hartwegiana
  • Eucharis horsmannii - Plagiolirion horsmannii
  • Eucharis korsakoffii - Caliphruria korsakoffii
  • Eucharis paradoxa - Caliphruria subedentata
  • Eucharis subedentata - Caliphruria subedentata
  • Eucharis tenera - Caliphruria tenera

See also

References
  1. "illustration from: Flore des serres et des jardins de l'Europe by Charles Lemaire and others. Gent, Louis van Houtte, 1853, volume 8 (plate 788)". Archived from the original on 2011-11-03. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  2. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. Stevens, P.F., Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Amaryllidoideae
  4. Meerow, Alan W. 1989. Systematics of the Amazon Lilies, Eucharis and Caliphruria (Amaryllidaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Vol. 76, No. 1 (1989), pp. 136-220
  5. "Caliphruria tenera (Amazon lily)". Plants & Fungi at Kew. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
  6. "Eucharis amazonica|Amazon lily". RHS Gardening. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
  7. Planchon, Jules Émile. 1853. Catalogue des Plantes Exotiques 8: 3.
  8. Meerow, A. W. 1989. Systematics of the Amazon lilies, Eucharis and Caliphruria (Amaryllidaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 76(1): 136–220
  9.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Eucharis". Encyclopædia Britannica. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 868.
  10. "Urceocharis", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2012-06-24
  11. The Plant List
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