Alstroemeria: A Charming Genus Andrea Mariel Sanso1, Marta Camargo de Assis2 and Cecilia Carmen Xifreda3 1CONICET. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Labarden 200. C.C. 22. B1642HYD San Isidro. Buenos Aires – Dpto. de Ecología y Genética Evolutiva. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Argentina 2EMBRAPA/CNPM (Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Monitoramento por Satélite) Av. Dr. Júlio Soares de Arruda 803,13088-300 Campinas, SP, Brazil 3CIC. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad de La Plata. Paseo del Bosque s/n. La Plata. Argentina Keywords: cut flowers, pot flowers, landscape use, biodiversity, phylogeny. Abstract Alstroemeria (Alstroemeriaceae), the Incas lily, an exclusively South American genus comprises near 90 species ranging from Venezuela (3° North) to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (53° South). Alstroemeria species and hybrids have gained world-wide importance as cut flower crop due to its attractive flowers and the excellent keeping quality of them. Nevertheless, they are also suitable for growing in pots and for garden and landscape uses. The recent taxonomic revisions of the group for Brazil (Assis, 2001), Argentina (Sanso, 1996), and Chile (Bayer, 1987), the biosystematic research (Aagesen and Sanso, 2003; Sanso and Xifreda, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003) and the chromosome studies (Sanso and Hunziker, 1998; Sanso, 2002) have facilitated the identification of the taxa and improved the basic knowledge of the genus. The nomenclature of the species, their geographical distribution, ecological characteristics and the interspecific relationships are now better understood. Many wild taxa, that are scarcely known so far, carry genetic traits that open possibilities for improvement and development of more attractive new varieties. For example, some of the Brazilian taxa have an important potential value in breeding programmes because of their showy flowers and the rigid leaves, instead of the very tender foliage that possess most of the species; some Patagonian ones have rather short plant height, which is important for potted plants. Several species of the wild populations are nowadays threatened and with risk of extinction. Most of the species occupy reduced geographical areas. Species that inhabit plain regions are vulnerable because those fields are burned and cultivations are introduced. Patagonian species especially need to be protected, against the grazing of the animals. The cultivation of the native plants would help to the ex situ conservation. Reintroduction in some natural areas might also play an important role in order to maintain the landscape value. Resumen Alstroemeria (Alstroemeriaceae), el lirio de los Incas, es exclusivamente sudamericano y comprende cerca de 90 especies distribuidas desde Venezuela (3° LN) hasta Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (53° LS). Las especies e híbridos han ganado importancia mundial como flor de corte debido a sus atractivas flores y a la excelente calidad de las mismas. Sin embargo, ellas son también apropiadas para ser utilizadas en cultivos en macetas y en jardinería y paisajismo. Las recientes revisiones taxonómicas del grupo para Brasil (Assis, 2001), Argentina (Sanso, 1996) y Chile (Bayer, 1987), los estudios biosistemáticos (Aagesen y Sanso, 2003; Sanso y Xifreda, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003) y cromosómicos (Sanso y Hunziker, 1998; Sanso, 2002) han facilitado la identificación de los taxa y contribuido al conocimiento básico del género. La nomenclatura de las especies, sus distribuciones geográficas y características ecológicas, así como las relaciones interespecíficas son ahora mejor comprendidas. Muchos taxa silvestres, hasta ahora poco conocidos, portan rasgos genéticos que amplían las posibilidades de mejoramiento y desarrollo de nuevas y Proc. Vth IS on New Flor. Crops Eds.: A.F.C. Tombolato and G.M. Dias-Tagliacozzo Acta Hort. 683, ISHS 2005 63 más atractivas variedades. Por ejemplo, algunos de los taxa brasileros tienen un importante valor potencial en programas de mejoramiento debido a sus vistosas flores y a sus hojas rígidas, en lugar del follaje muy fino que posee la mayoría de las especies; algunas especies patagónicas tienen baja altura, carácter importante para su cultivo en macetas. Diversas poblaciones silvestres están actualmente amenazadas y en riesgo de extinción. La mayor parte de las especies ocupa áreas geográficas reducidas. Aquellas especies que habitan llanuras son vulnerables debido a las quemazones de esos campos y la introducción de cultivos. Las especies patagónicas necesitan ser protegidas, especialmente del pastoreo de animales. El cultivo de las plantas nativas ayudaría a la conservación ex situ. La reintroducción en algunas áreas naturales podría jugar un rol importante para el mantenimiento del valor paisajístico. INTRODUCTION Alstroemeria (Alstroemeriaceae), the Incas lily, is an exclusively South American genus, represented by around 90 species that occupy a diverse range of habitats, from sea level to 4500 m altitude. They are herbaceous perennnials, with fleshy-root tubers. The leaves are frequently resupinate, the inflorescences terminal and umbeliform and the flowers usually zygomorphic with patterned tepals. The recent taxonomic revisions of the group for Brazil, Argentina and Chile, the biosystematic research (Aagesen and Sanso, 2003; Sanso and Xifreda, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003) and the chromosome studies (Sanso and Hunziker, 1998; Sanso, 2002) have facilitated the identification of the taxa and improved the basic knowledge of the genus. The nomenclature of the species, their geographical distributions and ecological characteristics and the interspecific relationships are now better understood. The Chilean species monographed by Bayer (1987) are 31. Sanso (1996) reviewed the Argentinean Alstroemeria species and recognized 10 taxa with one endemic species. Recently, Assis (2001) distinguished for Brazil, 38 species distributed in the eastern regions of the country; 35 of them occur exclusively in Brazil and ten of them, were described as new species (Assis and Mello-Silva, 2003). The species from Paraguay occur also in Argentina and Brazil (Sanso and Xifreda, in prep.). Because of their showy flowers and the excellent keeping quality of them, these plants have been successfully introduced into cultivation and are used as vase flowers. In Europe, were introduced as early as in the century XVI. Since those days, several works of improvement have been carried out which has become the Inca lily in a very popular cut flower. These cut flowers crops has been developed through hybridization, primarily among the Chilean group, particularly A. aurea Graham, A. ligtu L. and A. pelegrina L. and one Brazilian species, A. psittacina Lehm. In Holland is one of the most marketable flowers (Griffin, 1995; Buitendijk, 1998), just as that in Japan (Miyake et al., 1989). Recently an interest in growing Alstroemeria as a pot plant has appeared in U.S.A., Holland, Denmark. It should be possible to increase the variation and enhance the quality of the commercial cultivars by including a larger part of the genetic variation found among wild species. Many other wild taxa, that are scarcely known so far, are also of potential use in breeding programmes. Emphasis has been taken to take species of Brazilian origin with potential ornamental value and plants of low height for use as new pot plants. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Distribution Its northern limits are southern Venezuela and north-west Brazil (3-4º N) while it extends as far south as Tierra del Fuego in Argentina (52-53º S), with two main centers of distribution, one in Chile (extending into Peru, Bolivia and Argentina) and the second throughout Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina (Fig. 1). Native species occupy a diverse range of habits from high Andes to marshy lands. In Chile, Alstroemeria is geographically 64 distributed from a latitude of 22º S, near Tocopilla (Region II) in the north (A. paupercula Phil.), where the vegetation is sparse, with various species of cacti and other xerophytic plants, to 51º S in the south (A. patagonica Phil.). The central region of Chile has the greatest number of species. South of the 36º latitude the number of species is limited to A. aurea, the most widespread species in Chile, and A. presliana Herb.(Ørgaard and Kristiansen, 1998). The Brazilian species occur at different habitats: forest, savanna, high fields, marsh, “campos rupestres” and “caatinga”, from a height of 300 m in the Amazon up to 2,300 m at Serra do Itatiaia. With exception of A. isabellana Herb., A. gardneri Baker, A. apertiflora Baker, A. cunha Vell., A. stenopetala Schenk, A. psittacina and A. longistyla Schenk, most species have a restricted distribution (Assis, 2001). Characters 1. Subterranean Organs. In Alstroemeria, the species have either a short, nodose rhizome, as for example in A. pygmaea Herb. or, more frequently, the rhizome is long (Fig. 2A). In some species the rhizomes run horizontally, and in each growing season produce aerial vegetative leafy shoots and, usually, one flowering stem. These stolons or runners allow rapid shoot growth by means of vegetative multiplication. Traditionally propagation of Alstroemeria for horticulture is done by division of the rhizomes. Young roots are thin and fibrous but some of these thicken apically to become cylindrical or fusiform, white or cream-coloured, starch containing storage organs. The fleshy roots can be enlarged as in A. psittacina, + enlarged as in A. aurea and A.