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Useful Tropical Plants

Crinum zeylanicum

(L.) L.

Amaryllidaceae


This species is often reported as occurring in Africa. However, the African Plant Database[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
] says that this is a misidentification for three species occurring there - these are Crinum kirkii Baker; Crinum ornatum (L. f. ex Aiton) Bury; and Crinum politifolium R. Wahlstr.[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
,
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

+ Synonyms

Amaryllis zeylanica L.

Crinum latifolium zeylanicum (L.) Hook.f.

Crinum ornatum zeylanicum (L.) Herb.

Taenais zeylanica (L.) Salisb.

Common Name:

Crinum zeylanicum
Flowering plant
Photograph by: Lauren Gutierrez
Creative Commons License
Crinum zeylanicum Crinum zeylanicum

General Information

Crinum zeylanicum is a perennial plant growing up to 120 cm tall from a bulb that can be 6 - 20cm in diameter. Around 9 - 12 elliptical, mostly prostrate leaves are produced, these can be 20 - 70cm long and 3 - 7cm wide[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental, valued especially for its fragrant flowers.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

E. Asia - Seychelles, southwest India, Sri Lanka.

Habitat

Slightly moist sites in savannah, and along sandy sea-coasts[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitBulb
Height1.00 m
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details


Succeeds in full sun or partial shade, requiring a well-drained soil[
974
Title
Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants - Identification and Cultivation of over 3,000 Tropical Plants
Publication
 
Author
Ahmed Fayaz
Publisher
Firefly Books Ltd.; New Zealand
Year
2011
ISBN
978-1-55407-489
Description
A good photograph and terse but detailed information for over 3,000 species of tropical plants. An excellent reference.
].
Bulbs are sensitive to transplanting and can take several years to become established. After this, they will usually reproduce rapidly from offsets to produce the overcrowded conditions that stimulate them to flower freely[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bulb is very acrid and, when taken internally, causes severe diarrhoea[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Applied externally, the bulb is rubefacient, causing inflammation of the skin and the mucous membranes. It is applied topically to rheumatic joints as a way of relieving the condition[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

The leaves are applied topically to injuries and ulcers[310. The leaf juice is used for relieving earache[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, placing 2 - 3 seeds in individual pots. Do not cover the seed. Once they have germinated, you can thin each pot to just one plant if required, though we have not found this to be necessary. Give an occasional liquid feed to ensure that the plants do not suffer nutritional deficiencies. Grow them on until large enough to plant out.
Division of offsets when the plant is dormant.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Crinum+zeylanicum>

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