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Amaryllis Belladonna

Amaryllis Belladonna

September 19, 2015
Posted in: Nature | Reading Time: 2 minutes

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Amaryllis Belladonna - 207/365

Amaryllis belladonna, with generic names known as Belladonna Lily, Naked Lady or Easter Lily, is a small flowering bulb  from South Africa and pairs well with the African Lily (from previous posts) in gardens. Like the African Lily, this flower also has a confusing name as it's genus name is confused with the Hippeastrum (a different bulb from South Africa) which goes by the generic name Amaryllis. Though it is considered a lily due to it's shape and growth habit, it's only distantly related to the true lily, Lilium.

The common name Naked Lady comes from the plant's pattern of flowering when the foliage has died down. The leaves are produced in autumn or early spring in warm climates depending on onset of rain, and die down by late spring. The bulb is dormant until late summer when one or two leafless stems rise from the bulb producing elegant pink flowers.

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Cindy Lou Who could live in a Naked Lady. - 209/365

The name Amaryllis is taken from the Greek word amarysso, which means "to sparkle" and also from Amarella for the bitterness of the bulb.

It's genus name Amaryllis has been controversial since 1753 when two plants were discovered in South Africa and South America and placed in the same genus name. In 1938, a debate was summarized and continued involving both sides of the Atlantic until 1987 it was ultimately decided that Amaryllis L would be the conserved name based on the specimen of South African Amaryllis belladonna.  Belladonna is a Latin word meaning beautiful lady.

Personally I would have just called it Pretty in Pink but what do I know?

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