''Leucocoryne'' (glory-of-the-sun) is a genus of
bulbous
In botany, a bulb is a short underground 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 duri ...
perennial plants in the family
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 ...
. The foliage of all species is long and narrow and has an onion-like scent. The blue, white or lilac flowers are held in
umbels.
The entire genus is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
to northern and central Chile in South America.
[Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]
/ref> Some species are grown in gardens as ornamentals. They require very well-drained soil and do not tolerate freezing temperatures. ''L. purpurea'', with purple flowers, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
's Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
It includes the full range of cultivated p ...
.
Derivation of genus name
The generic name ''Leucocoryne'' is a compound of the Greek elements λευκός ( = ''leucos'' ) "white" and κορυνε ( = ''korune'' ) "club" ( in the sense of cudgel or bludgeon ) - in reference to the pale, club-like, sterile anthers of the flowers.
Taxonomy
Species
Species accepted by The Plant ListThe Plant List
/ref> are listed here (49) although some authorities estimate only 15.
# '' Leucocoryne alliacea'' Lindl.
# '' Leucocoryne angosturae'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne angustipetala'' Gay
# '' Leucocoryne appendiculata'' Phil.
# '' Leucocoryne arrayanensis'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne candida'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne codehuensis'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne conconensis'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne conferta'' Zoellner
# '' Leucocoryne coquimbensis'' F.Phil. ex Phil.
# '' Leucocoryne coronata'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne curacavina'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne dimorphopetala'' (Gay) Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne editiana'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne foetida'' Phil.
# '' Leucocoryne fragrantissima'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne fuscostriata'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne gilliesioides'' (Phil.) Ravenna syn. ''Erinna gilliesioides'' Phil.
# '' Leucocoryne inclinata'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne incrassata'' Phil.
# '' Leucocoryne ixioides'' (Sims) Lindl.
# '' Leucocoryne leucogyna'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne lilacea'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne lituecensis'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne lurida'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne macropetala'' Phil.
# '' Leucocoryne maulensis'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne modesta'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne mollensis'' Ravenna
# '' Leucocoryne narcissoides'' Phil. (discovered by Scottish botanist Thomas King)
References
Bibliography
*
*
Amaryllidaceae genera
Allioideae
Endemic flora of Chile
Taxa named by John Lindley
{{Asparagaceae-stub