Hippeastrum x henryae
xAmaryllis Henryae—A Miniature Pink Marvel
Hamilton P. Traub
Maryland
In 1948, Mrs. Mary G. Henry, of Gladwyne, Penna., made the cross, Amaryllis belladonna var. Haywardii x Amaryllis espiritensis (see Plate 6 and Fig. 1) and produced the miniature pink marvel shown in Fig. 22. This is without doubt the most outstanding achievement in the entire history of the genus Amaryllis under cultivation—
(a) The flower of the type (Fig. 22) is a most beautiful pink (=carmine, R.H.S. Chart, 21/1). Two additional individuals that flowered for Mrs. Henry in December 1950, are even more beautiful pinks, if that should be possible.
(b) The plant is small in stature so that 3 or more bulbs can be grown in a 5-inch pot. This has been the objective of Amaryllis breeders for a long time past.
(c) The plant is vigorous and increases rapidly by offsets so that commercial growers will be able to work up large stocks in a relatively short time.
(d) The hybrid apparently blooms normally in December, and thus can be forced for the Christmas trade.
We are indebted to Mr. Mulford B. Foster, for bringing back the smaller statured species, Amaryllis espiritensis, from Brasil; to Mr. Carricker, Jr., Dr. de Schauensee and Mrs. Henry for giving us Amaryllis belladonna var. haywardii (native to Bolivia), the first real pink Amaryllis, and to Mrs. Henry for making the synthesis that now gives us the first real miniature pink grandiflora hybrid Amaryllis. The hybrid is appropriately named for its originator, Mrs. Henry.
DESCRIPTION.—Bulb small; leaves evergreen, spatulate, up to 31 cm. long, up to 3 and 3.5 cm. wide, or somewhat wider; scape 16-18 cm. tall; spathe 2-valved, valves 5.5 cm. long, lanceolate; umbel 2-flowered (in type); pedicels 2.5-3.5 cm. long at anthesis; ovary about 8 mm. long; tepaltube 2.5 cm. long; tepalsegs carmine, lanceolate, 7.5-8 cm. long, 1.7-3.2 cm. wide; stamens and style exserted. Type: Traub nos. 194 and 195, in the Traub Herbarium; type illustration, Fig. 22.
