The Florida Series of Hybrid Amaryllis: Five New Hippeastrum Cultivars

Hippeastrum Herbert, amaryllis, has yielded popular large-flowered hybrids over a 200-year breeding history with The Netherlands and South Africa currently dominating the market (Meerow, 2009).The U.S. Department of Agriculture breeding program, with goals of developing cultivars with heat resistance and novel floral phenotypes, has been ongoing for nearly 15 years.In this article, we announce the release and availability for license of five hybrid cultivars as the Florida series of hybrid amaryllis.Hippeastrum 'Boca' PPAF , 'Jax' PPAF , 'Miami' PPAF , 'Orlando' PPAF , and 'Tampa' PPAF are diploid ('Jax', 2n = 22), triploid ('Boca', 2n = 33), or tetraploid and tetraploid-derived aneuploid ('Miami', 'Orlando', 'Tampa'; 2n = 43, 44) hybrids (Figs.123).Each cultivar is suitable for forcing as flowering plants and responds successfully to the protocols summarized by Okubo (1993).The cultivars exhibit novel floral coloration patterns and resistance to red scorch [Stagonospora curtisii (Berk.)Sacc.].