PEGGY GREB (D300-1)

Introducing

to Golden-yellow fl owers of Lycoris aurea. U.S. Lovers

or more than 20 years ARS horticulturist Mark Roh has been intrigued by the origins and habitats of the exotic and beautiful Lycoris. Though various Lycoris species have been grown as ornamentals in China, F , and for many centuries, only two species are readily available here: L. squamigera and L. radiata. They—and the rarer L. incarnata, L. chejuensis, and L. flavescens—are maintained at the U.S. National Arboretum (USNA), in Washington, D.C., and in Beltsville, Maryland. In 1984, Roh collected several unidentified Lycoris species from Anduck Valley, on Korea’s Jeju Island. This subtropical area hosts about 4,000 species of . Then in 1998, more Lycoris species were collected in Japan, Korea, and China. DNA molecular markers and chromosome studies proved that some of the unidentified Lycoris collected from Anduck Valley were L. incarnata, a species previously known to be native only to China. It is possible that this accession was brought from China to Korea by collectors, but no record of that can be found. In the past 6 years, extensive visits to areas near Anduck Valley have been made by Roh or by collaborators Mun Seok Seong, of Jeju-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, and Yong Bong Park,

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of Jeju National University. But they have of drought and waterlogging, as well as failed to locate any more L. incarnata poor soil conditions. there. They’ve only observed the Jeju L. radiata was a popular in old Island native, L. chejuensis. southern U.S. gardens. Its small, narrow, It’s possible that L. incarnata straplike, blue-green die away in were introduced deliberately or that a early spring. Then, in August, a 15- to small population of L. incarnata might in- 20-inch spike shoots up from under- deed have been native to Anduck Valley. If ground, which is why it is sometimes L. incarnata was previously native to Jeju called the “resurrection lily.” Also called Island, it is assumed that it is now locally the red spider lily or red hurricane lily, extinct. If L. incarnata was introduced and it’s topped with a complex, bright-red can naturally hybridize with L. chejuensis, flower with many very long . new species of hybrid origin could evolve; but then the genetic purity of L. chejuensis Unusual—Even Magical could be a concern. The strange thing about L. radiata Preserving germplasm at different lo- and other Lycoris is that they don’t cations will make it possible to maintain flower every year, frustrating many valuable materials permanently and al- growers. “This is a very interesting low sharing of the germplasm for future plant,” says Bordelon. “Visitors to the genetic studies. The 1984 collection of arboretum really like it. It’s not often L. incarnata from Jeju Island and main- you see something like this, a red plant tenance at USNA will guarantee proper without leaves.” preservation of this valuable germplasm Blooms of L. squamigera, often for future generations. L. incarnata germ- Horticulturist Mark Roh examines the called “magic lily,” are sometimes solid-red fl owers of var. plasm has been returned to Jeju-do, and found around old houses, where they radiata. bulbs will be planted in the Anduck Valley grow under big shade trees. In their native for restoration. China, Japan, and Korea, wild species Roh has been able to study and suc- grow in shady woodlands, so USNA— cessfully propagate various Lycoris spe- home to thousands of trees—is a perfect cies not before seen in this hemisphere. Lycoris houdyshellii has a soft-pink strip in location for this species. L. squamigera is the middle of its fl ower petals. He has hybridized Lycoris, and the new grown throughout the arboretum grounds. PEGGY GREB (D302-1) hybrid could eventually be released as The rare species, such as L. chinensis, L. new . chejuensis, and L. flavescens, could add All collected Lycoris germplasm is now even more beauty to USNA’s gardens, maintained in USNA’s Asian Collections once cold hardiness is tested. by Carole Bordelon, of the Gardens Unit, “Lycoris is not well-known by the and in the greenhouse of the Floral and American public,” says Roh. “We hope Nursery Plants Research Unit in Beltsville, that by putting some of these new species where Roh works. Some newly introduced on display, we can show Americans the species bloomed for the first time at the beauty of this plant. This will perhaps arboretum in the summer of 2005. encourage them to grow Lycoris for them- selves.”—By Alfredo Flores, ARS. A Pleasant Surprise This research is part of Plant, Mi- All Lycoris species have beautiful or crobial, and Insect Genetic Resources, unusual features that make them unique. Genomics, and Genetic Improvement, an It is affectionately called the “surprise ARS National Program (#301) described lily” because of its rarity in this country on the World Wide Web at www.nps.ars. and its elaborate flowering pattern. Its usda.gov. flower stalk measures about 10 to 20 Mark S. Roh is in the USDA-ARS Floral inches tall with six to nine red, yellow, or and Nursery Plants Research Unit, 10300 white frilly . Only the flower stalk Baltimore Ave., Bldg. 010A, Beltsville, projects from the ground when the plant MD 20705; phone (301) 504-5659, fax is blooming. Resistant to pests, it’s also a (301) 504-5096, e-mail [email protected]. very durable bulb, tolerating the extremes usda.gov. ✸

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