Bomarea is a genus of approximately 110–122 species of perennial climbing plants in the family Alstroemeriaceae, order Liliales. Together with Alstroemeria, it forms one of the two major genera in that family, and the two are closely allied in morphology and ecology. The genus was published by Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel in 1802, with the lectotype Bomarea ovata (Cav.) Mirb. formally designated in 1995.
Plants in this genus are herbaceous twiners and scramblers with tuberous roots, growing in the understory and forest margins of tropical and subtropical habitats. They bear clusters of tubular to bell-shaped, often brightly coloured flowers, which are predominantly ornithophilous — adapted for pollination by birds — and produce fleshy, animal-dispersed seeds.
The genus is divided into four subgenera: Baccata, Bomarea, Sphaerine, and Wichuraea; the largest, subgenus Bomarea, contains approximately 70 species. The majority of species are Andean, spanning the length of South America’s western cordillera, while others extend northward into Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies. Several species are cultivated as ornamental climbers in warm-temperate and tropical gardens.
Etymology
The generic name Bomarea honours Jacques Christophe Valmont de Bomare (1731–1807), a French naturalist and encyclopaedist. The name was given by Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel when he published the genus in 1802.
Distribution
Bomarea is primarily an Andean genus, with most species distributed along the mountain ranges of South America. The range extends north into Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies. Some species inhabit shady woodlands including oak forests and tropical deciduous and evergreen forests.
Ecology
Bomarea species grow in shaded conditions of tropical and subtropical forest understory and forest margins. The flowers are ornithophilous, relying on birds for pollination, and the seeds are dispersed by animals. Species favour moist, well-drained soils in sheltered positions.
Cultivation
Bomarea species require a warm, sheltered position with full sun and a well-drained, slightly acid soil. They tolerate USDA hardiness zones 8–11 and are hardy to around UK zone 9, with a minimum preferred night temperature of approximately 10°C. Plants should be kept nearly dry during winter and benefit from a thick organic mulch applied over the roots; the mulch should be removed as growth begins in spring, as young shoots are highly susceptible to slug damage.
Propagation
Seed is best sown fresh as soon as ripe in a heated greenhouse. Stored seed should be stratified: three weeks at 20°C followed by three weeks at 5°C. Germination typically occurs within one to two months at 20°C. Seedlings are pricked out into individual pots and kept under glass for at least their first winter before planting out. Division can be carried out in spring, though care is needed as the tuberous roots are brittle; each divided portion must include roots and a growth bud. Divisions are potted and grown on under glass until established.
