The amaryllidaceous genus Rauhia consists of just three species of succulent-leaved bulbs from the Peruvian Andes. R. multiflora, the first described in 1969, is the most widely cultivated. The other two are little-known and, some suggest, may be variants of the original species. Nevertheless, R. decora (as the epithet implies) is the most ornamental. In addition to bearing the fleshy, obovate leaves of the genus, these are attractively speckled with silver. The greenish funnelform flowers are arranged in umbels as is diagnostic for the family. HBG 97490, second-generation seedlings of Paul Hutchison 3799 collected in Peru; Dept. Amazonas; Prov. Bagua, in the canyon of the Río Utcubamba, 288 km E of Olmos, 820 m. $10.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 80 (2), March - April, 2008