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Useful Temperate Plants

Alstroemeria versicolor

Ruiz & Pav.

Alstroemeriaceae

+ Synonyms

Alstroemeria meyeniana Schauer

Alstroemeria sotoana Phil.

Alstroemeria tigrina Phil.

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Alstroemeria versicolor is a herbaceous perennial plant producing a cluster of upright stems around 30cm tall from an underground, tuberous rootstock. The roots spread, forming in time a clump of growth[
330
Title
ChileFlora
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.chileflora.com/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Not realy a flora, but a lovely site with lots of helpful information for the gardener and an abundance of excellent photos covering over 2,000 species of Chilean plants.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is often grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its flowers.

Known Hazards

The fresh sap of this plant can cause skin rashes in some people. The plant contains up to 2% of the compound tuliposide A, which probably hydrolizes on the skin to form the allergenic lactone tulipalin A. People who are allergic to the sap of tulips are very likely to also be sensitive to the sap of this plant[
65
Title
A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J.
Publisher
Wolfe
Year
1984
ISBN
0723408394
Description
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.
,
407
Title
BoDD (Botanical Dermatology Database)
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Brief notes on a very wide range of plants that have reports of causing harm to the skin.
].

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
330
Title
ChileFlora
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.chileflora.com/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Not realy a flora, but a lovely site with lots of helpful information for the gardener and an abundance of excellent photos covering over 2,000 species of Chilean plants.

Range

S. America - Chile.

Habitat

Stony places and scrub at an levation of 250 - 1,700 metres from Valparaiso to Conception and in the Valle de los Cipreses[
260
Title
Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2
Publication
 
Author
Phillips. R. & Rix. M.
Publisher
Pan Books, London.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-330-37376-5
Description
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.30 m
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Alstroemeria versicolor is a plant of semi-arid subtropical regions of Chile, where it can be found at elevations from sea level up to the timber line. It grows in areas that experience a dry season in the summer of 3 - 5 months and an annual rainfall of 400 - 800mm, concentrated in the winter. The plant does not experience snowfall, but does experience occasional frosts where temperatures can fall to around -5°c[
330
Title
ChileFlora
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.chileflora.com/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Not realy a flora, but a lovely site with lots of helpful information for the gardener and an abundance of excellent photos covering over 2,000 species of Chilean plants.
].
Requires a fertile, moisture retentive well-drained soil and a warm situation in sun or semi-shade[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prefers a dry sheltered border and a peaty loam[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
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.
Somewhat intolerant of root disturbance[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
], the roots are fleshy and brittle[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[
61
Title
A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
Publication
 
Author
Usher. G.
Publisher
Constable
Year
1974
ISBN
0094579202
Description
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
]. A source of starch, it is very nutritious[
2
Title
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Hedrick. U. P.
Publisher
Dover Publications
Year
1972
ISBN
0-486-20459-6
Description
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
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.
,
105
Title
Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
Publisher
Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
Year
1976
ISBN
-
Description
The most comprehensive list of 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.
,
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

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
Title
Growing from Seed. Volume 4.
Publication
 
Author
Bird. R. (Editor)
Publisher
Thompson and Morgan.
Year
1990
ISBN
-
Description
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
]. Plant out about 20cm deep into their permanent positions in late summer or autumn[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Division in mid spring or early autumn with care since the plant resents root disturbance[
133
Title
Growing from Seed. Volume 1.
Publication
 
Author
Rice. G. (Editor)
Publisher
Thompson and Morgan.
Year
1987
ISBN
-
Description
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
]. Ensure each portion has a growth bud[
111
Title
Popular Hardy Perennials.
Publication
 
Author
Sanders. T. W.
Publisher
Collingridge
Year
1926
ISBN
-
Description
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.
].
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-11-24. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Alstroemeria+versicolor>

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