I went to the flower market last Easter Sunday to look for Easter Lilies but could not find any. What I found instead are these two bundles of unknown flowers stashed in a corner seemingly abandoned by the itenerant vendor who has gone somewhere. Without inspecting, I hurriedly bought these two bundles from the shop minder all for P60. I had to ask twice if the price was correct as I could not believe my unexpected find. I was really suprised to see how much flowers I got for the little money I paid when I unwrapped them at home. The flowers turned out to be Hippeastrum. The arranged flowers shown above are only half of what I got. All told, it comes out less than a peso for each stalk! Now, where can you find such a bargain? My happiness comes in cheap packages really :-)

All bundled up waiting for me.

All bundled up waiting for me.

Hippeastrum is a genus of about 70–75 species and 600+ hybrids and cultivars of bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas from Argentina north to Mexico and the Caribbean. Some species are grown for their large showy flowers. These plants are popularly but erroneously known as Amaryllis.

Closeup of Hippeastrum erroneously known as Amaryllis.

Closeup of Hippeastrum erroneously known as Amaryllis.

“Hippeastrum” is Greek for “horseman’s star” (also known today as “knight’s star”) and was chosen in 1837 by the Honorable Reverend William Herbert, Dean of Manchester. While no one is entirely sure why he picked this name, it’s likely he chose it because of the plant’s striking resemblance to the “morning star,” a medieval weapon used by horsemen, as William Herbert was both a clergyman and something of an expert on early medieval history,. A version of the weapon was also called a “holy water sprinkler,” an ecclesiastical object with which the Dean would have been familiar.

A mass of white Hippeastrum in a green glazed ceramic vase blends with the Chinese painting.

A mass of white Hippeastrum in a green glazed ceramic vase blends with the Chinese painting.

The flower colors include red, rose, pink, white, orange, yellow and pale green with variations on these including different colored stripes and edges on the petals. Some flowers have uniform colors or patterns on all six petals while others have more pronounced colors on the upper petals than on the lower ones.