Amaryllis Atamasco. Atamasco Lily

Class and Order:

Hexandria Monogynia.

Generic Character:

Cor. hexapetaloidea, irregularis. Filamenta fauci tubi inserta, declinata, inaequalia proportione vel directione. Linn. Fil.

Specific Character and Synonyms:

AMARYLLIS Atamasco spatha bifida acuta, flore pedicellato, corolla campanulata subaequali erecta basi breve tubulosa, staminibus declinatis aequalibus. Linn. Fil. Ait. Kew. p. 416.

AMARYLLIS Atamasco spatha uniflora, corolla aequali, pistillo declinato. Linn. Spec. Pl. ed 3. p. 420.

LILIO-NARCISSUS Indicus pumilus monanthus albus foliis angustissimis Atamasco dictus. Moris. Hist. 11. p. 366. t. 24.

LILIO-NARCISSUS virginiensis. Catesb. Carol. 3. p. 12. t. 12.

LILIO-NARCISSUS liliflorus carolinianus flore albo singulari cum rubedine diluto. Pluk. Alm. 220. t. 43. f. 3.

No. 239.

The Amaryllis Atamasco is a native of Virginia and Carolina, in which countries it grows very plentifully in the fields and woods, where it makes a beautiful appearance when it is in flower, which is in the spring. The flowers of this sort are produced singly, and at their first appearance have a fine Carnation colour on their outside, but this fades away to a pale or almost white before the flowers decay. This plant is so hardy as to thrive in the open air in England, provided the roots are planted[B] in a warm situation and on a dry soil; it may be propagated by offsets from the roots, which they put out pretty plentifully, especially if they are not transplanted oftner than once in three years. Miller's Dict.

It is usual with the Nurserymen about London to keep this plant in the greenhouse, where it flowers about the end of April.

Mr. Charles Hatton cultivated here in 1680, Ait. Kew. on the authority of Morison.