Introduction of two Chilean geophytes, Leucocoryne coquimbensis F. Phil. and Zephyra elegans D. Don as new ornamentals.

摘要

The ornamental plant market is always in need of new crops to stimulate economic growth and establish fashion trends. Extensive literature surveys have been performed on the genera of bulbous plants to search out new ornamental crops. Among them, L.coquimbensis and Z. elegans showed great potential as new entries into the market. They both produce long stems, over 40 cm, and display several flowers per stem. To evaluate the marketability of these two plants, the growth cycles of L. coquimbensis and Z. elegans were investigated. After the growth cycles were determined, trials to develop forcing techniques of both plants were conducted. Detailed information on the growth and development of L. coquimbensis and Z. elegans is discussed in order to successfully cultivate and ultimately schedule crop production for target markets.