Hippeastrum x gladwynensis

The acquisition of my treasured bulb of Amaryllis belladonna var. haywardii occurred in 1944. This important and unorthodox event was chronicled on page 83 of Herbertia, 1949.

At the same time that Amaryllis belladonna var. haywardii was in bloom, a handsome vigorous red-flowered xAmaryllis was also in bloom. This was identified by Dr. Traub as xAmaryllis johnsonii (Plate 18, left). The bulb was sent to me by my daughter Josephine in 1945. She was in Assam with the Red Cross at the time. An army truck driver had brought it to her saying, "Here is a red Lily I got in the Naga Hills."

It was about January 1st, 1948, when I made the crosses, Amaryllis belladonna var. haywardii X xA. johnsonii (= xAmaryllis Gladwynensis; Plate 18, right) and Amaryllis belladonna var. haywardii X A. espiritensis (= xAmaryllis henryae; Fig. 22). The little tags that registered the crosses can plainly be seen in the picture page 85, Herbertia 1949. The seeds ripened in about two months. I planted one 12 x 12 inch flat with seeds of the first mentioned cross. It was March. Spring was in the air, the outdoors called me and I answered with my trowel and spade. The remaining seeds stayed where they had fallen to the sand of the greenhouse bench below them and there they sprouted and remained until the following autumn.

The seed pod pollinated with A. espiritensis was a bit later in ripening. Every one of these fell to the sand March 20th, where they sprouted and survived the summer, when they were planted in a flat and numerous pots. There were 44 of these. The plants developed from the seeds that had fallen to the sand were completely neglected by me, but there were orchids hanging overhead and when I sprinkled them, the baby xAmaryllis received a share and doubtless, too, received nutrition from this source.

So it was as usual, except for a few minutes to water night and morning, that I spent my days outside tending my Liliums of which I have over 125 species and varieties, my numerous deciduous Rhododendron seedlings, etc., etc.

By Autumn the xAmaryllis had developed into stout little bulbs. I admired enormously their courage and their "will to live," took pity on them and from then on have tried to take care of them.

Early in January, at an age of 1 year and 10 months, a flower bud emerged from one of the pot grown bulbs of Amaryllis belladonna var. haywardii X xA. johnsonii. Little did I know of the treat that was in store for me.

Not long afterward, this, my first hybrid Amaryllis seedling, expanded its utterly beautiful and utterly gorgeous carmine-pink flowers (Plate 18, right). Even if I had dreams for my first one, the flowers when they came exceed my highest hopes.

Before the season was over, and while still under two hears of age, xAmaryllis gladwynensis had produced three stalks of its stunning flowers.

xAmaryllis gladwynensis M. G. Henry, hybr. nov.—[Amaryllis belladonna var. haywardii X A. x johnsonii].

DESCRIPTION.—Bulb large; leaves 6-8, lanceolate, up to 62 cm. long, 3.5 cm. wide in the middle; umbel 2-4 flowered; ovary 3 cm. long; tepaltube 3.5 cm. long; tepalsegs lanceolate, 10 cm. long, 2.2-4 cm. wide, carmine in type, other shades of red may appear in other individuals; paraperigone absent; stamens obscurely trilobed. Type: nos. 108 and 109, in the Traub Herbarium; type illustration, Plate 18, right.

NOTES.—The individual of xAmaryllis johnsonii used in the cross is shown in Plate 18, left.