— ERROR DISCLOSED WYNDHAM HAYWARD, Florida Through the cooperation of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Dr. Henry K. Svenson, Curator of the Herbarium at the institution, the American Society has been able to ascertain definitely that many thousands of which have been grown as , the Lily, (Plate 55) in the South and Southwest for many years, are in reality (Plate 56), an interesting amaryllid from . First indications of the mistake in nomenclature were published in 1936 by Mrs. Jerome W. Coombs in the Gardeners Chronicle (Ameri- can) and by W. M. James and the writer in the 1936 Herbertia. Nerine sarniensis is a native o , and Lycoris radiata, while it has been termed horticulturally the "Japanese Nerine", is quite a different in growth, habit and appearance. An appeal was made to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in June, 1936 and bulbs from a number of plantings over the South and in California were submitted for identification. These were brought into and proved to be Lycoris radiata without exception. Dr. Svenson also sup- plied the writer with quotations from the literature. The original illus- tration of Nerine sarniensis in Curtis's Botanical magazine is reproduced for comparison (Plate 55). Careful examination of hundreds of the bulbs in bloom in the collections of various growers in Florida, likewise showed that beyond all doubt the bulbs were the genuine Lycoris radiata (Plate 56). Main distinctions between the two , besides the difference in natural habitat include the following— of Nerine sarniensis' are green and those of Lycoris are black. The of Nerine sarniensis are broad and flat, light green in color and those of Lycoris radiata are narrow, seldom more than 3/8 inch wide, and are channeled, with a lighter green-gray stripe down the upper side of the . The petals and sepals of Nerine sarniensis are considerably wider than those of. L. radiata. The of L. radiata are erect, with protruding , all on a single rotary plane; -in other words, the flowers and projecting stamens "radiate" about the stem. The of Nerine sarniensis are loose and irregular. The scales of the true have tiny silk-like fibers in them, which L. radiata lacks. Both have the habit of going dormant in slimmer, and blooming in the late summer or early fall, without leaves, which are pro- duced during the winter and spring. Lycoris radiata is quite hardy, as its sistership to L. squamigera might lead one to believe. Its outstanding 128] HERBERTIA character, however, is its extreme vigor and ability to adapt itself to numerous soil types. The bulbs. will grow and thrive in poor soil, next to shrubs and trees, along a stony walk, etc., where most bulbous plants would be a complete failure. The original illustration of Nerine sarniensis (Amaryllis sarniensis) as published in Curtis's Botanic Magazine, Vol. IX, X, p. 294, shows the character of the Nerine. It can be readily seen that it is quite unlike the supposed "Guernsey Lily," now known to be L. radiata, which has been a bright decoration of so many Southern gardens for generations. Disclosure of the identity of this amaryllid as L. radiata has been somewhat of a shock to numerous of the older botanists in the Southern states who have known and admired them for a lifetime as Nerine sarniensis. As previously recounted, the error in nomenclature was first noted on examination of foliage and flowers of bulbs of Lycoris radiata recently imported direct from Japan, in the belief that they were a very rare plant in the United States. On the other hand it now appears that Nerine sarniensis, the genuine species, is practically non-existent in the United States, unless possibly in private collections. Diligent search has failed to reveal more than a few bulbs, while there are thousands upon thousands of bulbs of L. radiata naturalized throughout the South and Southwest. Experience with small seedling bulbs of Nerine sarniensis furnished through the kindness of Mr. W. M. James indicates that the true Nerine sarniensis may be unsuited for such general popularity and use in garden planting in warm climates as the L. radiata now enjoys. It is less vigorous, slower growing, and more subject to damage from droughts, insects, sunlight, etc., although it may prove to be valuable as a pot plant or bedding bulb for sheltered locations in good soil. The mystery of how such quantities of L. radiata came to be present over the southern part of the United States, and under the name of a South African plant, remains as puzzling as any in modern horticulture. Doubtless the bulbs were brought in from the Far East with early ship- ments of other plants a hundred or more years ago. On the other hand, the genuine Nerine sarniensis is a well known bulb with European col- lectors, and is frequently found listed in the specialty catalogues of dealers in Holland and England. Regardless of the change of name, Lycoris radiata remains one of the most valuable bulbs of the Amaryllis for outdoor planting in the South. The plants are inconspicuous, when not in bloom, although the foliage is truly handsome in itself. Their blooms appear when other flowers are scarce, rising as if by magic from the dry sand or clay soil. The flowers are a bright rose-red, extraordinarily beautiful and last in good condition for many days, making an excellent cut flower. The bulbs will grow almost anywhere except in a sour, soggy soil. Lycoris aurea is a well known bulb in Florida, being found in abundance in old gardens about St. Augustine. , the "hardy amaryllis" is grown as far north as Massachusetts and Ohio. These are the only species of Lycoris commonly available in the United States.