Crinum
Crinum is a genus of about 180 species of perennial plants that have large showy flowers on leafless stems, and develop from bulbs. They are found in seasonally moist areas, including marshes, swamps, depressions and along the sides of streams and lakes in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide.
Description
Vegetative characteristics
Crinum are bulbous perennial herbs with tunicate bulbs and basal, glabrous, annual to perennial leaves. These bulbs can be very large. A species which Chitendon and Synge list as Crinum crassipes can have a bulb high and thick., exceeded only by Worsleya procera.Generative characteristics
The bisexual, sessile or pedicellate, zygomorphic or actinomorphic flowers are borne one umbellate or solitary inflorescences with solid scapes.Cytology
Cytological studies have shown that 27 species of Crinum are diploid, having a typical chromosome count of 2n = 22. Abilio Fernandes found that the Orange River Crinum bulbispermum had a count of 2n = 66, and some desert Crinum macowanii 2n = 44. These polyploid species produce seeds that are often parthenogenetic triploid or diploids, lack vigour and seldom grow to mature plants.Taxonomy
It was published by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The lectotype Crinum americanum was designated in 1923.Species
, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families lists 105 species of Crinum. Amongst these are:- Crinum americanum L. – southern swamplily, seven sisters
- Crinum asiaticum L. – poisonbulb
- Crinum bulbispermum Milne-Redh. & Schweick. – hardy swamplily
- Crinum latifolium L.
- Crinum macowanii Baker
- Crinum moorei Hook.f.
- Crinum pedunculatum R.Br., syn. C. asiaticum var. pedunculatum – swamplily, river lily or spider lily
- Crinum thaianum Schulze – onion plant
- Crinum viviparum R.Ansari & V.J.Nair – Indian Subcontinent to Indo-China
Formerly placed here
- Agapanthus africanus Hoffmanns.
- Ammocharis heterostyla Milne-Redh. & Schweick.
- Cyrtanthus angustifolius Aiton
- Cyrtanthus elatus Traub
- Cyrtanthus obliquus Aiton
- Hippeastrum argentinum Hunz.
- Urceolina urceolata Asch. & Graebn.
Hybrids
- × Amarcrinum hybridised with Amaryllis
- C. × powellii - pale pink, fragrant, lily-like flowers produced in late summer
- *C. × powellii 'Album'