---
title: "Alstroemeria (Peruvian lilies): classification, 138 accepted species, distribution and cut-flower care | Floreboard"
url: https://floreboard.com/en/plants/alstroemeria/
language: en
last_reviewed: 2026-10-24
publisher: Floreboard
---

Curtis's Botanical Magazine · 139 · 1790 · public domain

# Alstroemeria L.

alstroemerias (Peruvian lilies) · Alstroemeriaceae

- **Accepted name:** Alstroemeria L.
- **First published:** Pl. Alströmeria: 8 (1762)
- **Family:** Alstroemeriaceae
- **Accepted species:** 138 (including 6 natural hybrids)
- **Native range:** 16 TDWG regions, South America: southern Venezuela to the far south of the continent
- **Common names:** alstroemerias (Peruvian lilies), Alstroemeria
- **Databases:** [POWO](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:326331-2) · [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/n/326331-2) · [WCVP](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/2232/taxon/298175) · [Catalogue of Life](https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/8VTMQ) · [GBIF](https://www.gbif.org/species/2753642)

## Overview

Alstroemeria belongs to its own family, Alstroemeriaceae; Kew gives its native range as southern Venezuela to the far south of South America. The RHS notes that they come from South America, hence the name Peruvian lily, though they are related to neither lilies nor daffodils.

They are fleshy-rooted herbaceous perennials that grow from bulb-like tubers, die back in winter and regrow in spring, and are generally hardy in the UK (RHS). WCVP records A. aurea as native to central and southern Chile and southern Argentina, A. pelegrina (the plant in the plate above) only to central Chile, and A. psittacina to Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina.

## Classification and naming

Linnaeus published the genus in 1762 in Planta Alströmeria (cited by WCVP as Pl. Alströmeria: 8). Segregate genera such as Ligtu and Lilavia are now included and appear as synonyms below; a few of the species WCVP accepts are natural hybrids (names with ×).

| Genus name | Published in |
| --- | --- |
| Ligtu Adans. | Fam. Pl. 2: 20 (1763) |
| Lilavia Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 4: 35 (1838) |
| Priopetalon Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 4: 34 (1838) |
| Schickendantzia Pax | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 11: 322 (1889) |
| Taltalia Ehr.Bayer | Sendtnera 5: 7 (1998) |

## Distribution

WCVP records the genus as native to 16 TDWG botanical regions and introduced in 16 more.

Argentina NortheastArgentina NorthwestArgentina SouthBoliviaBrazil NorthBrazil NortheastBrazil SouthBrazil SoutheastBrazil West-CentralChile CentralChile NorthChile SouthParaguayPeruUruguayVenezuela

### Introduced

AlabamaCanary Is.FloridaFranceGeorgiaGreat BritainLouisianaMadeiraMexico SouthwestMississippiNew South WalesNew Zealand NorthNew Zealand SouthNorfolk Is.TasmaniaVictoria

## Accepted species

WCVP accepts 138 species; names with × are natural hybrids. The count changes with revisions; checked 2026-10-24.

| Name | On this site |
| --- | --- |
| Alstroemeria achirae Muñoz-Schick & Brinck |   |
| Alstroemeria albescens M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria altoparadisea Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria amabilis M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria amazonica Ducke |   |
| Alstroemeria andina Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria angustifolia Herb. |   |
| Alstroemeria annapolina Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria apertiflora Baker |   |
| Alstroemeria aquidauanica Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria arnicana Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria aulica Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria aurea Graham | 1 plate |
| Alstroemeria bahiensis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria bakeri Pax |   |
| Alstroemeria bicentenaria Soliz, A.Fuentes & Baya |   |
| Alstroemeria bilabiata Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria brasiliensis Spreng. |   |
| Alstroemeria burchellii Baker |   |
| Alstroemeria cabralensis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria caiaponica Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria calliantha M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria cantillanica Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria capixaba M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria caryophyllaea Jacq. |   |
| Alstroemeria chapadensis Hoehne |   |
| Alstroemeria chorillensis Herb. |   |
| Alstroemeria × chrysantha (Ehr.Bayer) J.M.Watson & A.R.Flores |   |
| Alstroemeria citrina Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria crispata Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria cuiabana Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria cultrifolia Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria cunha Vell. |   |
| Alstroemeria × davisiae Duncan ex Traub |   |
| Alstroemeria decora Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria diluta Ehr.Bayer |   |
| Alstroemeria discolor Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria douradensis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria × errembaultii Lem. |   |
| Alstroemeria espigonensis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria esteparica Gl.Rojas |   |
| Alstroemeria exerens Meyen |   |
| Alstroemeria fiebrigiana Kraenzl. |   |
| Alstroemeria foliosa Mart. |   |
| Alstroemeria fuscovinosa Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria garaventae Ehr.Bayer |   |
| Alstroemeria gardneri Baker |   |
| Alstroemeria glaucandra Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria gouveiana Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria graminea Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria hookeri Sweet |   |
| Alstroemeria huemulina Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria ibitipocae Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria igarapavica Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria inodora Herb. |   |
| Alstroemeria isabelleana Herb. |   |
| Alstroemeria itabiritensis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria itatiaica Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria jocunda Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria julieae M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria kingii Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria lactilutea Ravenna & Brinck |   |
| Alstroemeria landimana Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria leporina Ehr.Bayer & Grau |   |
| Alstroemeria ligtu L. |   |
| Alstroemeria litterata Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria longistaminea Mart. |   |
| Alstroemeria longistyla Schenk |   |
| Alstroemeria lutea Muñoz-Schick |   |
| Alstroemeria magna Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria magnifica Herb. |   |
| Alstroemeria malmeana Kraenzl. |   |
| Alstroemeria maranhensis M.C.Assis & A.W.C.Ferreira |   |
| Alstroemeria marticorenae Negritto & C.M.Baeza |   |
| Alstroemeria maxima (Phil.) N.I.Villalobos & C.M.Baeza |   |
| Alstroemeria modesta Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria mollensis Muñoz-Schick & Brinck |   |
| Alstroemeria monantha Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria monticola Mart. |   |
| Alstroemeria nidularis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria nivea Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria ochracea M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria orchidioides Meerow, Tombolato & F.K.Mey. |   |
| Alstroemeria oreas Schauer |   |
| Alstroemeria × orpetiae Traub |   |
| Alstroemeria pallida Graham | 1 plate |
| Alstroemeria paraensis M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria parvula Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria patagonica Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria paupercula Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria pelegrina L. | 1 plate |
| Alstroemeria penduliflora M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria philippii Baker |   |
| Alstroemeria piauhyensis Gardner ex Baker |   |
| Alstroemeria piperata A.R.Flores & J.M.Watson |   |
| Alstroemeria plantaginea Mart. |   |
| Alstroemeria poetica Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria polpaicana Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria polyphylla Phil. |   |
| Alstroemeria presliana Herb. |   |
| Alstroemeria pseudospathulata Ehr.Bayer |   |
| Alstroemeria psittacina Lehm. | 1 plate |
| Alstroemeria pubiflora Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria pudica Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria pulchra Sims |   |
| Alstroemeria punctata Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria pygmaea Herb. |   |
| Alstroemeria × racinae Traub |   |
| Alstroemeria radula Dusén |   |
| Alstroemeria recumbens Herb. |   |
| Alstroemeria revoluta Ruiz & Pav. |   |
| Alstroemeria ribeirensis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria roseoviridis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria rupestris M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria sabulosa Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria schizanthoides Grau |   |
| Alstroemeria sellowiana Seub. |   |
| Alstroemeria spathulata C.Presl |   |
| Alstroemeria speciosa M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria spectabilis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria stenopetala Seub. |   |
| Alstroemeria stenophylla M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria stramonia M.C.Assis & Mello-Silva |   |
| Alstroemeria talcaensis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria timida Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria tombolatoana M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria traudliae J.M.Watson & A.R.Flores |   |
| Alstroemeria umbellata Meyen |   |
| Alstroemeria urubiciensis L.P.Felix & M.Guerra |   |
| Alstroemeria variegata M.C.Assis |   |
| Alstroemeria versicolor Ruiz & Pav. |   |
| Alstroemeria virginalis Ravenna & Brinck |   |
| Alstroemeria viridiflora Warm. |   |
| Alstroemeria werdermannii Ehr.Bayer |   |
| Alstroemeria xavantinensis Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria yaelae Ravenna |   |
| Alstroemeria × zebrina D.D.Duncan |   |
| Alstroemeria zoellneri Ehr.Bayer |   |

## Historic plates

Plates in date order; the printed names are kept as they appear, current names are on the species pages and the topic page.

- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/bm-139.jpg)Alstroemeria PelegrinaCurtis's Botanical Magazine · 139 · 1790,
- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/bot-mag-57-3033.jpg)Alstroemeria psittacinaCurtis's Botanical Magazine · 3033 · 1830, William Jackson Hooker, Joseph Swan
- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/bot-mag-58-3040.jpg)Alstroemeria pallidaCurtis's Botanical Magazine · 3040 · 1831, Robert Kaye Greville, Joseph Swan
- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/bot-mag-3350.jpg)Alstroemeria aureaCurtis's Botanical Magazine · 3350 · 1834, Mrs James McNab, Joseph Swan

## Picking and cut-flower handling

The RHS explains that garden alstroemerias are pulled, not cut: grasp the stem low down and give a quick upward tug, which takes out part of the stem below ground and prompts a new bud; in the first summer after planting, though, the stalks are best cut. They are long-lived cut flowers, staying fresh for about two weeks in a vase.

Floralife advises harvesting when at least one flower per stem is open and its petals are beginning to reflex, with no leaf yellowing and strong stems. Store at 1–3 °C and 75–85% relative humidity; vase life is 7–14 days. Most varieties are ethylene-sensitive, showing wilting, petal drop, water-soaked petals and yellowing leaves, and an ethylene action inhibitor prevents flower and petal drop. The leaves yellow long before the flowers fade, especially in foam, so stripping them is often advisable, or a conditioning product can prevent it. The stems are soft and easily damaged in foam; anti-pathogen transport paper helps in storage and shipping.

## Further reading

- [Flower guide](https://floreboard.com/en/flowers/alstroemeria/)
- [Reference library](https://floreboard.com/en/library/)

## References

- [WCVP · World Checklist of Vascular Plants (via ChecklistBank dataset 2232)](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/2232) · accessed 2026-10-24
- [Kew (POWO data on the ColPlanta site) · Alstroemeria native range](https://colplanta.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:326331-2/general-information)
- [RHS · How to grow alstroemerias](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/alstroemeria/growing-guide)
- [Floralife · Alstroemeria care and handling](https://floralife.com/flowers/alstroemeria/)

Names, places of publication, synonyms and distribution checked against WCVP (2026-10-24); the text follows the cited sources and awaits specialist review.