Amaryllis

This name derives from the Ancient Greek “marmaírō (μᾰρμαίρω) amarússō (ᾰ̓μᾰρῠìσσω),” meaning “sparkle, shine, flash, glisten, gleam (especially of metal).” In Roman literature, Amaryllis was a stock female character, a natural, pretty young woman who was usually a shepherdess. Amaryllis is mentioned in classical pastoral poetry and in later works, such as Thomas Campion’s “I Care Not for These Ladies” (1601) and John Milton’s “Lycidas” (1638). Amaryllis is a small genus of flowering bulbs, with two species. The better known of the two, Amaryllis belladonna, is a native of the Western Cape region of South Africa, particularly the rocky southwest area between the river Olifants Valley to Knysna.