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Alstroemeria ligtu

Common name:	Alstroemeria	Family:	Amaryllidaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Some people are sensitive to this plant and skin contact with the sap can cause them to get dermatitis[65].
Range:	S. America - Chile
Habitat:	Dry scrub in rocky sandy soils[187].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Peruvian Lily [H],

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.6m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from February to August, in flower in July, and the seeds ripen in August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Root.

Root - cooked[105]. The roots are a source of a palatable starch[2, 46, 177]. It is very nutritious and is given to children and invalids[139].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a fertile, moisture retentive well-drained soil and a warm situation in sun or semi-shade[200]. Prefers a dry sheltered border and a peaty loam[1]. Established plants are drought tolerant according to one report[190], whilst another says that the soil should not be allowed to dry out in the growing season[42]. Plants succeed in maritime gardens[233].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, tolerating temperatures down to between -5 to -10°c[200]. Young plants are best given a protective mulch for their first winter or two[233]. The lily-like flowers have a sweet fragrance of mignonette[245]. They are one of the longest-lasting of cut flowers for the home and so are commonly grown for this purpose[245].
The edible roots are sold in local markets in Chile[46].
The roots should be planted 15 - 20cm deep when dormant in late summer to autumn and then be well mulched to protect them from severe winter weather. Plants can be rather invasive, spreading by means of underground fleshy roots to form large patches[187].
Somewhat intolerant of root disturbance[1], the roots are fleshy and brittle[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe although seedlings can be transplanted successfully if they are moved with care whilst small. Pre-soak stored seed for 12 hrs in warm water, warm stratify for 4 weeks at 25°c and then reduce the temperature to 10°c. Excising a small bit of the seed near the embryo after the seed has been warm stratified helps to speed up the germination process[164]. Plant out about 20cm deep into their permanent positions in late summer or autumn[200].
Division in April or October with care since the plant resents root disturbance[133]. Ensure each portion has a growth bud[111].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a sweet fragrance of mignonette.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Amaryllidaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[139] ? Flora of Chile. (in Spanish)
Some information about the useful plants of Chile.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[190] Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982 ISBN 0460045512
A good list of drought resistant plants with details on how to grow them.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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