Worsleya is a genus of Brazilian plants in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae, cultivated as an ornamental because of its showy, pale violet flowers, often with a yellow stripe down the middle of each tepal. There is only one known species, Worsleya procera, native to eastern Brazil.Traub, Hamilton Paul 1944. Herbertia 10: 89 It is endemic to the mountains around Petrópolis, about north of Rio de Janeiro. Here the sickle-shaped leaves curve northward. When grown in the northern hemisphere, the leaves curve southward. It has one of the largest bulbs, around high by up to thick near the base) and also rarest members of the subfamily Amaryllidoideae (family Amaryllidaceae).
This species is also known as the Empress of Brazil because of its origin in South America and in reference to Teresa Cristina, the wife of Emperor Dom Pedro II. It grows in very extreme and moist environments, and is commonly found near waterfalls in rich soil situated on granite rocks (which is why it is sometimes considered to be a lithophyte) and sunny places. However, it can be difficult to cultivate. It has plenty of needs, though it can exhibit great hardiness. It also has many ornamental traits.
Description
The plant has a large bulb that produces a high stem with green recurved leaves. Worsleya produces spectacular and beautiful blooms. They are large, lilac to blue, with small freckles on them. The seeds are black and semicircular, and (when cultivated) are usually sown in pumice or sometimes Sphagnum, although with Sphagnum the threat of decay is higher.Lemaire, (Antoine) Charles. 1864. L'illustration horticole 11: t. 408. as Hippeastrum procerum .Duchartre, Pierre Étienne Simon. 1863. Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France 10: 75. as Amaryllis procera nom illeg., not Salisbury 1796.Traub, Hamilton Paul & Moldenke, Harold Norman. 1949. Amaryllis Manual 23. as Worsleya rayneri
Conservation It is critically endangered, and it is included in the Brazilian official list of endangered species.MEIRELLES, S. T., PIVELLO, V. R., & JOLY, C. A. (1999). The vegetation of granite rock outcrops in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the need for its protection. Environmental Conservation, 26(1), 10–20. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44519516
Etymology It is named after Arthington Worsley (1861-1943).Empress of Brazil (Worsleya procera). (n.d.). Gardens by the Bay. Retrieved April 19, 2023, from https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/learn-with-us/explore-resources/whats-blooming/empress-of-brazil-worsleya-procera.html
Cytology The diploid chromosome count is 2n = 42 unlike its sister group Griffinia with 2n = 20.Dutilh, J. A. H. (2003, August). "Ornamental bulbous plants of Brazil." In V International Symposium on New Floricultural Crops 683 (pp. 37-42).
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