''Ismene'', or Peruvian daffodil, is a genus of

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

n plants in the Amaryllis family. The species are native to

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

and widely cultivated elsewhere as ornamentals because of their large, showy flowers. ''Ismene'' produces tender perennial bulbs bearing a strong resemblance to those of ''

Hymenocallis ''Hymenocallis'' (US) or , p. 76 (UK) is a genus of American plants in the amaryllis family. ''Hymenocallis'' contains more than 60 species of herbaceous bulbous perennials native to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, ...

'', a genus into which ''Ismene'' had often been grouped in the past. However, its morphology differs from ''Hymenocallis'' in several significant ways: its vegetative parts, natural range, and chromosome number are all distinct. ''Ismene'' can be difficult to grow in the United States.Howard, Thad M. ''Bulbs for Warm Climates''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 2001, pp 98–99.

Species

A list of ''Ismene'' species and their geographic distribution is given below. *'' Ismene amancaes'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Herb – western

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

*'' Ismene hawkesii'' (Vargas) Gereau & Meerow – Cusco,

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

*'' Ismene longipetala'' (Lindl.) Meerow – southwestern

, northwestern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

*'' Ismene morrisonii'' (Vargas) Gereau & Meerow – Apurímac,

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

*'' Ismene narcissiflora'' (Jacq.) M.Roem. – south-central

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

*'' Ismene nutans'' (Ker Gawl.) Herb. –

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

*'' Ismene pedunculata'' Herb. –

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

*'' Ismene ringens'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Gereau & Meerow –

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

*'' Ismene sublimis'' (Herb.) Gereau & Meerow – La Libertad,

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

*'' Ismene vargasii'' (Velarde) Gereau & Meerow –

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

Hybrids

* ''Ismene'' × ''deflexa'' Herb. (''I. longipetala'' × ''I. narcissiflora)'' –

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

References

External links

International Bulb Society's gallery of photographs Amaryllidoideae Amaryllidaceae genera Flora of South America {{Amaryllidaceae-stub