Plagiolirion

Plagiolirion
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Tribe: Eucharideae
Genus: Plagiolirion
Baker
Species:
P. horsmannii
Binomial name
Plagiolirion horsmannii
Baker
Plagiolirion is endemic to Colombia
Synonyms
  • Eucharis horsmannii (Baker) Traub
  • Urceolina horsmannii (Baker) Traub

Plagiolirion is a monotypic genus in the family Amaryllidaceae endemic to Colombia. It has only one known species, Plagiolirion horsmannii, which is rare in the wild and was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the Río Cauca Valley in 1989.

Description

Herbarium specimen of Plagiolirion horsmanii

Vegetative characteristics

Plagiolirion horsmannii is a bulbous, perennial herb with subglobose or ovoid, tunicate, 5–6 cm long, and 5–5.5 cm wide bulbs with fleshy roots. The bulbs have offsets at the base.

Generative characteristics

The scapose, umbellate inflorescences with a terete, solid, erect, glaucous green, 49–66 cm long, and 0.5 cm wide scape, bears 10–41 white, zygomorphic, inodorous, protrandrous, pedicellate, 2.5–3 cm long, and 3–4 cm wide flowers. The thin pedicels are 1.5–2 cm long.

Cytology

The diploid chromosome number of Plagiolirion horsmannii is 2n = 46.

Taxonomy

The genus and species were first described by John Gilbert Baker in 1883. The genus is placed in the tribe Eucharideae.

Etymology

The generic name Plagiolirion, from plagios meaning 'oblique' and leirion meaning 'lily', is derived from the floral morphology. The specific epithet horsmannii honours Fred Horsman, who imported the species to Colchester, United Kingdom.

Ecology

Habitat

It occurs in the Colombian Andes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Plagiolirion Baker". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  2. 1 2 3 "Plagiolirion horsmannii Baker". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Alan W. Meerow and Philip Silverstone-Sopkin. 1995. The rediscovery of Plagiolirion horsmannii Baker (Amaryllidaceae) Brittonia 47(4): 426-431
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Baker, J. G. (1883). Plagiolirion horsmannii. Gard. Chron, 2(38), 1888.
  5. 1 2 The Gardeners' Chronicle: A Weekly Illustrated Journal of Horticulture and Allied Subjects. p. 105. (1883). Vereinigtes Königreich: Gardeners Chronicle.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Weathers, J. (1890). Plagiolirion horsmannii. Gardeners’ Chronicle, p. 262.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Weathers, J. (2009). The Bulb Book. p. 398. USA: Applewood Books.
  8. 1 2 The Garden: An Illustrated Weekly Journal of Gardening in All Its Branches. p. 42. (1884). Vereinigtes Königreich: (n.p.).
  9. 1 2 3 Wiener illustrirte Garten-Zeitung: Organ d. K. K. Gartenbau-Gesellschaft in Wien. p. 94. (1884). Österreich: Frick.
  10. 1 2 Silverstone-Sopkin, P. A. (2011). Los muertos vivientes: La historia natural de cuatro lirios amazónicos del suroccidente de Colombia (Eucharis y Plagiolirion, Amaryllidaceae). pp. 24–25. Universidad del Valle.
  11. ↑ Plagiolirion. (n.d.). Pacific Bulb Society. Retrieved March 4, 2025, from https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Plagiolirion