''Ismene amancaes'', commonly called amancae or amancay, is a

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Amaryllidaceae The Amaryllidaceae are a family of herbaceous, mainly perennial and bulbous (rarely rhizomatous) flowering plants in the monocot order Asparagales. The family takes its name from the genus '' Amaryllis'' and is commonly known as the amaryl ...

and native to the coastal hills of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Description

''I. amancaes'' is a species with spherical

bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs du ...

s 3.5–5 cm in diameter. The leaves are strap-shaped, 25–50 cm long and 2.5–5 cm wide, bright green. The 2–6 yellow pedicellate flowers are borne at the end of a scape up to 33 cm long. The floral tube is greenish yellow, 5–7.5 cm long, bearing at the end the

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s, which are linear to narrowly lanceolate, 6–7.5 cm long, with green tips. The floral corona is funnel-shaped, yellow with green stripes, 5–6 cm long, 6–8.5 cm wide, bearing the stamens facing inwards.

Distribution and habitat

Ismene amancaes (as Pancratium amancaes) 30

Endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to Peru, ''Ismene amancaes'' inhabits coastal hills up to 1500 m of elevation, especially near the city of

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of t ...

, as part of the

lomas Lomas (Spanish for "hills"), also called fog oases and mist oases, are areas of fog-watered vegetation in the coastal desert of Peru and northern Chile. About 100 lomas near the Pacific Ocean are identified between 5°S and 30°S latitude, a nort ...

ecosystem.

Chemical compounds

It is reported that ''I. amancaes'' contains the

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Th ...

substances

galantamine Galantamine is used for the treatment of cognitive decline in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and various other memory impairments. It is an alkaloid that has been isolated from the bulbs and flowers of '' Galanthus nivalis'' (Common snow ...

and narcissidine.

History

Remains of ''I. amancaes'' have been found in archaeological sites near the city of Lima. The flowering of this species was the subject of a festival ("Festival de Amancaise") celebrated in June in

, until the first half of the 1800s. In a place among the hills surrounding Lima, people from the city gathered annually to celebrate the flowering of the plant in a festival with music and dance, similar to

May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...

. The festival attracted people from all classes of the society then, while a common sight was people sporting the flowers in their garments.

Conservation

''I. amancaes'' is considered an endangered species by the IUCN since 1997.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4739516 Amaryllidoideae Flora of Peru