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
Crinum thaianum, an aquatic species from Thailand
Large Crinum asiaticum growing as an invasive species in Hawaii
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 (a synonym of Crinum variabile) can have a bulb 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) high and 25 cm (9.8 in) thick., exceeded only by Worsleya procera.
Crinum stuhlmannii infructescences
Detail of Crinum × amabile flower with stamens inserted at the throat of the perianth tube
Germinating Crinum seed
The bisexual, sessile or pedicellate, zygomorphic or actinomorphic flowers are borne one umbellate or solitary inflorescences with solid scapes.
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.
Vegetative characteristics
Large Crinum asiaticum growing as an invasive species in Hawaii
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 (a synonym of Crinum variabile) can have a bulb 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) high and 25 cm (9.8 in) thick., exceeded only by Worsleya procera.
Generative characteristics
Crinum stuhlmannii infructescences
Detail of Crinum × amabile flower with stamens inserted at the...
