Flora of North America species comparison

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Crinum asiaticum

Crinum americanum

poison bulb, tree crinum

Florida swamp-lily, seven sisters, southern swamp crinum, string lily
Bulbs

25 cm or more × 10–12 cm.

3.5–6 cm diam., neck 4–6 cm.
Leaves

numerous, 10 dm or more × 7.5–12 cm;

blade ensiform, gradually tapering to apex.

10–15 dm × 1–4 (–7) cm;

blade lorate, margins usually scabrous.
Scape

stout, 2-edged.

equaling leaves.
Umbels

20–100-flowered.

2–7-flowered.
Flowers

perianth white, salverform, tube 3–7.5 cm, limb lobes linear, 7.5 × 1–1.5 cm;

pedicel 1–2 cm.

sessile;

perianth white, salverform, tube 6–15 cm, limb lobes linear, narrowly elliptic, or oblanceolate, 5–15 × 1–1.5 cm.
Capsules

to 5 cm diam., beak long.

2.5–4.5 × 2.5–4 cm, beak 1–8 cm.

Crinum asiaticum

Crinum americanum
Phenology Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Wet areas
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; LA; tropical Asia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
sc United States; se United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Crinum asiaticum is a robust and highly variable species that is distinguished by its very broad leaves. The bulb is reputed to be poisonous.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Umbels 2–5-flowered.
var. americanum
1. Umbels 6–7-flowered
var. traubii
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 279. FNA vol. 26, p. 278.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Crinum Liliaceae > Crinum
Sibling taxa
C. americanum, C. bulbispermum, C. zeylanicum
C. asiaticum, C. bulbispermum, C. zeylanicum
Subordinate taxa
C. americanum var. americanum, C. americanum var. traubii
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 292. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 292. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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