Crinum

Genus: Crinum

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Asparagales > Family: Amaryllidaceae

About 65 species worldwide, found mainly in the tropics, with 22 species native to southern Africa. An additional four exotic species are cultivated in the region.

Some species have poisonous seeds and bulbs, containing haemolytic saponin, and the alkaloids lycorine, crinine and crinamine.

Species native to southern Africa

List from Plants of Southern Africa - an Online Checklist (SANBI), Flora of Zimbabwe and Flora of Mozambique.

Crinum acaule (Maputaland grass crinum)
Crinum bulbispermum (Orange River lily, Vaal River lily)
Crinum buphanoides
Crinum campanulatum
Crinum crassicaule
Crinum euchrophyllum
Crinum giesii
Crinum graminicola (Grass crinum, Grass vlei lily)
Crinum harmsii
Crinum lineare
Crinum lugardiae [= Crinum carolo-schmidtii]
Crinum macowanii (River lily, River crinum)
Crinum minimum [= Crinum walteri] Recorded from Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Crinum moorei (Moore's crinum, Natal lily)
Crinum ornatum
Crinum paludosum (Bushveld vlei lily)
Crinum parvibulbosum
Crinum rautanenianum
Crinum stuhlmannii (Candy-striped crinum) [= Crinum delagoense] See Flora of Zimbabwe.
Crinum subcernuum
Crinum variabile (River lily)
Crinum verdoorniae

Other species, cultivated in southern Africa

List mainly from Glen (2002).

Crinum asiaticum Native to Asia (e.g. China, South Korea, Japan, India).
Crinum jagus Native to tropical Africa.
Crinum kirkii Native to tropical Africa.
Crinum pedunculatum Native to Australia.

Publications

Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.
Verdoorn, I.C. 1973. The genus Crinum in southern Africa. Bothalia 11: 27-52.