Bomarea

Bomarea is one of the two major genera in the plant family Alstroemeriaceae. Most occur in the Andes,^[4] but some occur well into Central America, Mexico and the West Indies.^[2] Some species are grown as ornamental plants.^[5][6][7]

Bomarea
Bomarea sp., southern Ecuador Note leaf bases twisted 180°
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Alstroemeriaceae
Tribe:	Alstroemerieae
Genus:	Bomarea Mirb., 1804
Type species
Bomarea ovata[1] (Cav.) Mirb.
Synonyms[2][3]
Leontochir Phil. Vandesia Salisb. Collania Herb. 1837, illegitimate homonym, not Schult. & Schult. f. 1830 nor Broth. ex Sakurai 1941 Sphaerine Herb. Dodecasperma Raf. Wichuraea M.Roem. Danbya Salisb.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Bomarea are terrestrial, erect or scandent herbs^[8] with resuspinate leaves.^[9]

Generative characteristics

The bisexual flowers have a campanulate to funnel-shaped perianth^[8] with free tepals.^[1]

Taxonomy

It was published by Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel in 1802.^[10] The lectotype Bomarea ovata (Cav.) Mirb. was designated in 1995.^[1] Bomarea is divided into four subgenera, Baccata, Bomarea, Sphaerine, and Wichuraea. The largest is Bomarea with about 70 species.^[11]

There are about 110^[12] to 122 species^[11] in the genus.

Species

Species accepted as of July 2014:^[2]

Image	Name	Distribution
	Bomarea acutifolia	Mexico, Central America
	Bomarea albimontana	Peru
	Bomarea alstroemerioides	Peru
	Bomarea amazonica	Peru
	Bomarea amilcariana	Venezuela
	Bomarea ampayesana	Peru
	Bomarea anceps	Peru
	Bomarea andimarcana	Peru, Bolivia
	Bomarea andreana	Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
	Bomarea angulata	Ecuador, Peru
	Bomarea angustissima	Peru
	Bomarea aurantiaca	Peru, Bolivia
	Bomarea boliviensis	Bolivia, Argentina
	Bomarea brachysepala	Ecuador, Peru
	Bomarea bracteata	Peru
	Bomarea bracteolata	Panama
	Bomarea bredemeyeriana	Colombia, Venezuela
	Bomarea brevis	Peru, Bolivia
	Bomarea callejasiana	Colombia
	Bomarea campanularia	Ecuador, Peru
	Bomarea campylophylla	Peru
	Bomarea carderi	Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
	Bomarea caucana	Colombia
	Bomarea caudata	Peru
	Bomarea caudatisepala	Panama
	Bomarea ceratophora	Ecuador
	Bomarea chaparensis	Bolivia
	Bomarea chimborazensis	Ecuador
	Bomarea chiriquina	Panama, Costa Rica
	Bomarea coccinea	Peru
	Bomarea colombiana	Colombia
	Bomarea cordifolia	Peru
	Bomarea cornigera	Peru
	Bomarea cornuta	Peru, Ecuador
	Bomarea costaricensis	Panama, Costa Rica
	Bomarea crassifolia	Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru
	Bomarea crinita	Peru
	Bomarea crocea	Peru
	Bomarea densiflora	Peru, Ecuador
	Bomarea denticulata	Peru
	Bomarea diffracta	Colombia
	Bomarea dispar	Peru
	Bomarea dissitifolia	Peru, Ecuador
	Bomarea dolichocarpa	Peru, Ecuador
	Bomarea dulcis	Peru, Bolivia, Chile
	Bomarea edulis	widespread across much of Latin America from central Mexico to Argentina, plus West Indies
	Bomarea endotrachys	Peru
	Bomarea engleriana	Peru
	Bomarea euryantha	Colombia
	Bomarea euryphylla	Colombia, Ecuador
	Bomarea evecta	Ecuador
	Bomarea ferreyrae	Peru
	Bomarea foertheriana	Peru
	Bomarea formosissima	Peru, Bolivia
	Bomarea glaucescens	Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia
	Bomarea goniocaulon	Peru, Ecuador
	Bomarea graminifolia	Ecuador
	Bomarea hartwegii	Peru, Ecuador
	Bomarea herbertiana	Colombia
	Bomarea herrerae	Peru
	Bomarea hieronymi	Colombia, Ecuador
	Bomarea hirsuta	Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
	Bomarea huanuco	Peru
	Bomarea inaequalis	Colombia
	Bomarea involucrosa	Peru, Bolivia
	Bomarea kraenzlinii	Colombia
	Bomarea lancifolia	Ecuador
	Bomarea latifolia	Peru
	Bomarea libertadensis	Peru
	Bomarea linifolia	Colombia, Ecuador
	Bomarea longipes	Peru, Ecuador
	Bomarea longistyla	Peru
	Bomarea lopezii	Venezuela
	Bomarea lutea	Ecuador
	Bomarea macrocephala	Argentina, Bolivia
	Bomarea macusanii	Peru
	Bomarea moritziana	Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
	Bomarea multiflora	Colombia, Ecuador
	Bomarea multipes	Ecuador
	Bomarea nematocaulon	Peru
	Bomarea nervosa	Peru, Ecuador
	Bomarea nubigena	Ecuador
	Bomarea obovata	Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
	Bomarea ovallei	Atacama
	Bomarea ovata	Argentina, Bolivia, Peru
	Bomarea oxytepala	Ecuador
	Bomarea pardina	Colombia, Peru
	Bomarea parvifolia	Peru
	Bomarea patacoensis	Ecuador
	Bomarea patinii	Colombia, Ecuador
	Bomarea pauciflora	Colombia, Venezuela
	Bomarea perglabra	Ecuador
	Bomarea peruviana	Peru
	Bomarea porrecta	Peru
	Bomarea pseudopurpurea	Peru
	Bomarea pudibunda	Colombia
	Bomarea pumila	Bolivia, Peru
	Bomarea puracensis	Colombia
	Bomarea purpurea	Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru
	Bomarea rosea	Peru
	Bomarea salicifolia	Venezuela
	Bomarea salsilla	Chile
	Bomarea secundifolia	Peru
	Bomarea setacea	Peru
	Bomarea shuttleworthii	Colombia
	Bomarea speciosa	Peru
	Bomarea spissiflora	Ecuador, Peru
	Bomarea stans	Argentina, Bolivia
	Bomarea suberecta	Panama, Costa Rica
	Bomarea superba	Peru
	Bomarea tarmensis	Peru
	Bomarea torta	Ecuador, Peru
	Bomarea tribrachiata	Ecuador, Peru
	Bomarea trichophylla	Colombia
	Bomarea trimorphophylla	Ecuador
	Bomarea truxillensis	Venezuela
	Bomarea uncifolia	Ecuador
	Bomarea vargasii	Peru
	Bomarea velascoana	Peru
	Bomarea vitellina	Colombia
	Bomarea weigendii	Peru

Etymology

The generic name Bomarea honours Jacques Christophe Valmont de Bomare (1731-1807).^[1]

Ecology

Habitat

Bomarea grow in shaded conditions of tropical forest understory.^[13]

Pollination and seed dispersal

The flowers are ornithophilous and the seeds are dispersed by animals.^[1]

As invasive plants

In New Zealand, Bomarea has become invasive.^[14][15]