Hippeastrum striatum variation
Kevin D. Preuss (Wed, 10 Mar 2004 02:59:38 PST)

Hello. This week has been the first week of real color this Spring in the bulb collection. The 1st floweres of a Hymenocallis from the FL panhandle have come and gone...Lachenalias are in bloom, as are Eucharis & Hippeastrum. Particularly, H. striatum are in bloom. (so are the oaks).

This year almost all the forms I possess are flowering simultaneously. There is cleary a group of small statured forms/varieties, including several forms (e.g. H. petiolatum & H. flaigerum). All have white pollen.
I have notice something peculiar with the large forms...they have purple (light purple) anthers (unopened), a character found in H. aulicum.
Is this character indicative of a link to H. aulicum? Both H. aulicum and H. striatum occur in /rio & Sao Paulo, Brazil (the ecology of these two species is quite different from one another's).
Are the larger forms with purple anthers a different subspecies?

Is anyone familiar with the varieties of the H. striatum? If so, please inform us!

Alan, when are you going to write a book on the genus Hippeastrum???

Have a good week!
Kevin Preuss
St. Pete, FL
- where Spring has sprung!