Common name: Parrot lily, Parrot Alstroemeria, Christmas lily, Inca lily
Alstroemeria psittacina Lehm. APNI* Synonyms: Alstroemeria pulchella auct. non L.f. APNI*
Description: Herb with many simple stems to 1 m long, from rhizome, with numerous white fleshy tuberous roots.
Leaves spathulate, soft-textured, often slightly glaucous, 3–10 cm long, 10–35 mm wide, apex obtuse to bluntly acute; petiole 1–6 cm long.
Inflorescence few-many-flowered; pedicels 10–15 mm long. Perianth dark red below, pale yellowish green near the apex, with green stripes and dark purplish blotches; tepals spathulate, overlapping to form a narrow tube 4–7 cm long; outer tepals 4–7 cm long, 15–20 mm wide; inner tepals 4–7 cm long, 7–10 mm wide. Stamens 3.5–6 cm long; anthers 4–6 mm long. Ovary 10–15 mm long, ribbed; style 3.5–6.5 mm long; stigmas 3–5 mm long.
Capsule ± globose with prominent ribs, 10–15 mm diam.; seeds 2.5–3 mm diam., reddish brown.
Flowering: November–May.
Distribution and occurrence: Cultivated as an ornamental, occasionally naturalized and weedy in shady sites, mainly in coastal districts. Also naturalised and weedy in Qld, Vic, WA, Norfolk Island. Native to Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *W.A.
This species with red and green flowers was previously known as A. pulchella but as shown by Xifreda (in Darwiniana 31: 321-325 (1992)), that name applies to a different taxon. The variegated form is cultivated but is not known to be naturalised.
Text by G. J. Harden (1993) as A. pulchella; edited KL Wilson (Jan 2017)
Taxon concept: P.S. Green (1994) as A. pulchella
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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