Alstroemeria pelegrina L.

Herbaceous perennial; tubers fleshy, in dense clusters. Stems of two kinds: short, to 15 cm high, non-flowering (sterile) with loose clusters of leaves above; taller, stouter, flowering, to 60 cm high, with leaves evenly dispersed. Leaves thin, dull green, many-nerved, midrib ± indistinct, obtuse; leaves of sterile stems elliptic, c. 6 × 2 cm, petioles to 2.5 cm long; leaves of flowering stems ± linear, recurved, c. 4 × 1–1.5 cm, petioles 2–3 mm long. Umbel simple, flowers 4–8 surrounded by a whorl of leaf-like bracts, similar to leaves flowering stem but smaller; rays c. 1 cm long. Flowers c. 5 cm long, 1.5–2.5 cm diam., dull rosy-red tipped with green and cream, streaked with brown inside; segments all shortly apiculate, with minute hairs on margins of claws, inner whorl unequal, lower segment markedly shorter. Capsule green, c. 1.5 × 1.5 cm, longitudinally 6-ribbed, with smooth apiculate cap.

[From: Healy and Edgar (1980) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 3. as Alstroemeria pulchella L.f.]

Flowering: Dec.–Jan.