13: Lycoris sanguinea Maxim. (Amaryllidaceae)

Abstract The life‐history characteristics of Lycoris sanguinea Maxim., a bulbous perennial of the Amaryllidaceae, are described here. Its geographical range is in the warm‐temperate to cool‐temperate zone of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, Japan, extending further to the Korean Peninsula and China. Its growth form and seasonality are very unique, that is, the productive and reproductive phases are separate, which has been observed in other Lycoris species as well. In late March to mid‐April for approximately 2 months, only radical leaves appear above ground; these leaves wither and disappear in late April to early May when the canopy of the deciduous trees casts heavy shade on the ground layer; then, in mid‐ to late‐July when the forest floor becomes even darker, only scapes appear above ground, with two to six orange‐red flowers borne on the umbels, occasionally forming large clumps here and there on the forest floor. Lycoris sanguinea is a typical insect‐pollinated polycarpic perennial that is pollinated by small bees, such as Amegilla florae , and small butterflies, such as Thymelicus leoninus leoninus and Thymelicus sylvaticus sylvaticus . The seed output per plant is not very high, and 6–20 black spherical seeds, each approximately 6 mm in size, are produced.