3. Crinum L., Sp. Pl. 1: 291 (1753).
Taxon Description
Herbs without the smell of onion or garlic. Roots thin. Bulbs with a membranous tunic, parallel-veined, without a neck or a pseudo stem. Leaves basal, arranged in a rosette, linear or ensiform, not differentiated into blade and petiole; shorter than the scape; bases sheathing. Scape solid, angled. Inflorescence a scapose umbel, with few to many flowers enclosed in bud by a persistent 2- or 3- valved spathe. Flowers large, more or less actinomorphic to slightly zygomorphic, subsessile. Perianth white or creamy white sometimes tinged with rose red, funnel-shaped. Tepals united below into a long tube. Stamens subequal, inserted at throat of perianth tube. Corona absent. Ovary inferior, ovules few in each locule. Style filiform, longer than the stamens. Stigma entire, minute. Capsule subglobose, splitting irregularly. Seeds greenish, rounded.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 105 species. One species in Nepal.
1. Crinum amoenum Roxb. ex Ker Gawl., J. Sci. Arts (London) 3: 106 (1817).
Crinum humile Royle.
Bulbous herb, 30–90 cm. Bulb(s) solitary or clustered, subglobose, ca. 4–7 cm in diameter, neck not developed, tunic pale brown, membranous, parallel-veined, roots ca. 1–2 mm diameter. Leaves 10–12, basal, linear or ensiform, 18–30 × 1.5–4 cm, shorter than the scape, apex acute. Scape 30–65 cm, solid, covered with leaf sheaths for ca. ¼ to ⅕ of its length. Spathe 3.5–5 cm, 2- or 3-valved, persistent. Inflorescence a lax, hemispheric umbel, usually 3–12-flowered, 6–12 cm across. Flowers +- sessile. Perianth white, 10–23 cm. Tube green to red, slender, 5–14 cm. Tepals lobes subequal, white, linear-lanceolate, lobes 4.5–9 × 0.5–1 cm, apex acute. Filaments subequal, 4–7 mm, purple red above, whitish below, curved, anthers dark brown, 0.8–2 cm. Ovary subglobose, 10–12 mm. Style ca. 11 cm. Capsule subglobose, breaking open irregularly. Seeds rounded, greenish.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya and Assam-Burma.
Altitudinal range: 200–1,800 m.
Ecology: Rocky, moist and shady places.
Flowering: May–June. Fruiting: July–August.
Crinum amoenum is cultivated as an ornamental in Nepal and it is unclear whether it is native or has become naturalized. Capsule description taken from Flora of Bhutan.
The rhizome is used medicinally.