Crinum is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of about 180 species of perennial plant

Perennial plant

A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...

s that have large showy flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

s on leafless stems, and develop from bulb

Bulb

A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...

s. They are found along the sides of streams and lakes in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide, including South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

.

Crinum leaves are basal, typically long and strap-shaped, with colors ranging from light green to green.

Several species are used in aquarium

Aquarium

An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...

s.

Selected species

Crinum abyssinicum Crinum acaule Crinum amabile Crinum americanum L. – Southern Swamplily, Seven Sisters Crinum amoenum Crinum asiaticum Crinum asiaticum Common names:Poison Bulb, Giant Crinum Lily, Grand Crinum Lily, Grand Crinum Lily, Spider LilyCrinum asiaticum can be found in China, Hong Kong, Jeju-do in South Korea, India, Ryukyu Islands, Mainland Japan and in Sri Lanka. Crinum pedunculatum is considered by some sources to be a variety of this... L. (= C. amabile) – Poisonbulb Crinum augustum Crinum baumii Harms Crinum bulbispermum Crinum bulbispermum Crinum bulbispermum is a herbaceous plant native to South Africa. It is naturalized in other parts of the world, such as southern North America.-Description:... (Burm.f.) Milne-Redh. & Schweick. – Hardy Swamplily Crinum buphanoides Welw. ex Baker Crinum calamistratum Crinum campanulatum Crinum carolo-schmidtii Crinum crassicaule Baker Crinum defixum Crinum delagoense Crinum erubescens Aiton Crinum fimbriatulum Crinum firmifolium Crinum flaccidum Herb. Crinum graminicola I.Verd. Crinum jagus (J.Thomps.) Dandy

Crinum latifolium Crinum latifolium Crinum latifolium is a rosette-like herb that arises from an underground bulb. It is a stout perennial herb of about 2 m in height. Leaves are long, linear and ligulate type. Flowers are white in color and arranged in umbel.... L. Crinum lineare Crinum lugardiae Crinum macowanii Baker Crinum mauritianum Crinum minimum Milne-Redh. Crinum moorei Hook.f. – Natal Lily, Moore's Crinum Crinum natans Crinum oliganthum Crinum ornatum Crinum pacificum Crinum pedunculatum Crinum pedunculatum Crinum pedunculatum also known as the Swamp Lily, River Lily or Mangrove Lily, is a bulbous perennial found in stream and tidal areas of the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales, Australia as well as New Guinea and some Pacific Islands. It is unclear whether it is native or... R.Br., syn. C. asiaticum var. pedunculatum – Swamplily, River Lily or Spider Lily Crinum × powellii Baker (probably C. bulbispermum × C. moorei) Crinum procerum (Splendens) Crinum purpurascens Herb. Crinum subcernuum Crinum variabile Crinum yemense Crinum thaianum Crinum thaianum -Description:Long, up to 60 inches , tough, ribbonlike bright green leaves grow from a bulb that looks much like an onion. White 'lily-like; flowers may form on a long stalk.There are a number of varieties and forms available... Schulze – Onion plant Crinum xanthophyllum – Golden Spider Lily Crinum zeylanicum L.

Formerly placed here

• Agapanthus africanus
  Agapanthus africanus
  Agapanthus africanus is a native of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.It has a short stem bearing a tuft of long, narrow, arching leaves 10–35 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, and a central flower stalk 25–60 cm tall, ending in an umbel of 20-30 white, or bright blue, funnel-shaped...
  
  (L.) Hoffmanns. (as C. africanum L.)
• Ammocharis heterostyla (Bullock) Milne-Redh. & Schweick. (as C. heterostylum Bullock)
• Cyrtanthus angustifolius (L.f.) Aiton (as C. angustifolius L.f.)
• Cyrtanthus elatus (Jacq.) Traub (as C. speciosum L.f.)
• Cyrtanthus obliquus (L.f.) Aiton (as C. obliquum L.f.)
• Hippeastrum argentinum (Pax) Hunz. (as C. argentinum Pax)
• Urceolina urceolata (Ruiz & Pav.) Asch. & Graebn. (as C. urceolatum Ruiz & Pav.)

External links

• Pacific Bulb Society Crinum Page, includes links to photographs
• Crinums In East Texas: Notes From Marcelle Sheppard, includes links to photographs, cultural information, and hybridizing results
• Bulbsociety
• The Genus Crinum
• African Crinums
• Bulb Society

• Crinum Americanum
• Crinum Moorei