Hippeastrum

Ritterstern ( Hippeastrum )

The Knights stars ( Hippeastrum ) are a genus of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae family ( Amaryllidaceae ).

The Knights stars comprise about 80 species of bulbous plants that grow in South America in areas with a pronounced dry season. The cultivated in Europe as ornamental plants Ritter stars are mostly hybrids.

The included Hippeastrum hybrids, as well as the belladonna lily, the alkaloid lycorine.

Confusion and correct classification

Colloquially, the species of this genus are often called Amaryllis or confused with members of the genus Amaryllis.

Originally, the genus Amaryllis was much broader than it is today by Carl Linnaeus. Later there was a division of the United genus and for the removal of the South American genus Hippeastrum.

Classified botanically correctly includes Amaryllis today exclusively South American genus Amaryllis belladonna with the lily ( A. belladonna ).

Vegetation phases

The Knights stars, one can distinguish between three phases of vegetation. In winter, the flowering stage. This is followed by a growth phase in spring and summer. In the fall is at a resting phase. As in her home, the natural environmental conditions initiate the different phases, one must ensure that even the indoor plant for the right culture conditions.

Propagation

There are three different ways to increase the Hippeastrum.

Bulbils: The Hippeastrumzwiebel usually forms from bulbils, the tendency but is very dependent on the type. Bulbils are small bulbs that form in addition to the parent bulb in the ground. As a rule detects the presence of a brood onion on the leaves that grow from the earth. Only rarely grow bulbils visible on the surface. Hippeastrum papilio is particularly large, and also varieties such as " Red Lion " and " Apple Blossom" offshoots are good producers.

Seeds: A self - or cross-pollinated flower of the usual large-flowered varieties is usually from about 20 to 80 seeds. You must be sown soon as they are made within a few weeks or months depending on storage lose their ability to germinate. They may call in a culture substrate or simply germinate in water after harvest.

Dicing the onion: In the third method, the multiplication ( " chipping " ) is cut the onion into quarters / eighths from bottom to top, bearing in mind that each piece has a piece of basal plate ( root surface ). The pieces can then be planted in soil and must be covered with plastic wrap. The soil should be kept slightly damp. After about three months, the portions form of sheets, from the film may then be removed. Each section forms a full onion. This possibility of increase should not be executed by beginners, especially as the bulb contains a high content of toxic substances. Tools and hands should be sterilized and cleaned thoroughly after the procedure. Gloves are recommended as human skin can react with strong irritation to the toxins.

Species

Hippeastrum aglaiae (A. Cast. ) Hunz. & A. A. Cocucci Hippeastrum ambiguum Hook. Hippeastrum andreanum Baker Hippeastrum argentinum ( Pax ) Hunz. Hippeastrum aulicum ( Ker Gawl. ) Herb, home. Brazil, Paraguay Hippeastrum blossfeldiae ( Traub & JL Doran ) Van Scheepen Hippeastrum blumenavium (K. Koch & CD Bouché ex Carrière ) Sealy Hippeastrum Herb breviflorum. Hippeastrum bukasovii ( Vargas ) Gereau & Brako Hippeastrum calyptratum ( Ker Gawl. ) Herb. Hippeastrum candidum Stapf Hippeastrum cybister ( Herb. ) Benth. ex Baker Hippeastrum doraniae ( Traub ) Meerow Hippeastrum elegans ( Spreng. ) H.E. Moore, Origin: South America Hippeastrum evansiae ( Traub & Nelson individual section ) H.E. Moore Hippeastrum forgetii Worsley Hippeastrum lapacense ( Cárdenas ) Van Scheepen Hippeastrum leopoldii T. Moore, Origin: Bolivia Hippeastrum machupijchense ( Vargas ) D. R. Hunt Hippeastrum maracasum ( Traub ) H.E. Moore Hippeastrum oconequense ( Traub ) H.E. Moore Hippeastrum Herb organense. Hippeastrum papilio (Ravenna ) Van Scheepen, Origin: Southern Brazil Hippeastrum pardinum ( Hook. f ) Dombrain, Origin: Bolivia Hippeastrum petiolatum Pax Hippeastrum psittacinum ( Ker Gawl. ) Herb, home. Southern Brazil Hippeastrum puniceum ( Lam.) Voss, Origin: Mexico, West Indies, South America Hippeastrum reginae (L. ) Herb, home. Mexico, Central America, West Indies, tropical South America Hippeastrum reticulatum (L' Hér. ) Herb, home. Southern Brazil Hippeastrum striatum ( Lam.) H.E. Moore, Origin: Brazil Hippeastrum Herb stylosum. Hippeastrum traubii ( Moldenke ) H.E. Moore Hippeastrum vittatum (L' Hér. ) Herb, home. Andes of Peru

Pictures

Bloom in " classic " Red

Double flower

Habit

The stamens

The scar

The Samenstand

The seeds

White Knight Star

Detail view of a flower

Anthers open

Hippeastrum Ruby Meyer