Hippeastrum traubii

This very distinct dwarf Amaryllis species was collected in Peru by the eminent botanist, Dr. Ramon Ferreyra, July 11, 1950, and was sent to Dr. Hamilton P. Traub in the United States in December 1950. The bulbs were frosted in the mails after leaving the U. S. Plant Inspection House. Some of the bulbs were totally destroyed by freezing, but a few survived with only the main central bud killed. The latter were planted in coarse sand and watered with a nutrient solution at regular intervals. After some months offsets developed from the lateral buds in the remaining unfrozen tissue. In due course flowers were obtained from these bulbs in early June, 1952. The seeds matured in late June, 1952.

The stature of this species is among the lowest of the large-flowering Amaryllis species. The umbel is 4-flowered, but when the photograph for Fig. 1 was taken only the two larger flowers had emerged from the spathe. The other two expanded about two weeks later. The fourth and smallest flower was sub-functional with tiny tepalsegs, normal sized but non-dehiscing anthers on very short filaments, and with the pistil lacking.

The flower color is outstandingly beautiful ranging between carmine rose and camellia rose. The species has been named for Dr. Hamilton P. Traub who patiently nursed the frosted plants back to health.

Type: in Traub Herbarium, Traub Nos. 205 and 206, June 2 to July 9, 1952, grown from living material collected by Dr. Ramon Ferreyra in Peru, July 11, 1950, in the Dept. of San Martin, Pucayacu, near Tarapoto.

NOTES.--The evergreen late spring--early summer-flowering Amaryllis traubii belongs to a group which includes also the evergreen early spring-flowering species, Amaryllis belladonna Linn. (distr. from West Indies to Brasil, Bolivia, Chile and Peru), the deciduous early spring-flowering species, Amaryllis espiritensis Traub (from Brasil), and Amaryllis vanleestenii Traub (from Surinam), and the evergreen early summer-flowering variety, Amaryllis belladonna var. barbata (Herb.) Traub & Moldenke (from Surinam). However, Amaryllis traubii is quite distinct as Fig. 1 shows, due do a unique combination of characters--relatively small stature, evergreen, thick-textured leaves, late spring to early summer flowering habit, a relatively shorter tepaltube, and non-fascisculate stamens. The color of the perigone, ranging from carmine rose to camellia rose also sets it off markedly from the others except Amaryllis belladonna var. haywardii (from Bolivia) with a carmine-colored perigone.

Harold N. Moldenke