''Crinum bulbispermum'' is a herbaceous plant native to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. It has an area of over and has a populatio ...

and

Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its ...

. It is naturalized in the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc bet ...

, Honduras,

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Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

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South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = G ...

and

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

. ''Crinum bulbispermum'' is the floral emblem of the Free State province of South Africa.

Description

The plant grows from large bulbs. It has strap shaped leaves, 50–88 cm long. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

is an umbel with 8–13 flowers, borne on a scape 40–75 cm tall. The flowers are funnel shaped and sickly-sweet scented, and are usually pink with a deep pink or red midstripe, but can range from white to red. Flowering takes place in spring and summer. The plant thrives in wet places.Edgar Wolston Bertram Handsley Milne-Redhead & Herold Georg Wilhelm Johannes Schweickerdt. 1939. Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany 52(342): 161. ''Crinum bulbispermum''Burman, Nicolaas Laurens. 1768. Flora Indica: cui accedit series zoophytorum indicorum, nec non Prodromus Florae Capensis 9, as ''Amaryllis bulbisperma''

Cultivars and hybrids

There are some cultivars in cultivation: *'Alba' - pure white flowers. *'Backup Mother' - vigorous. Flowers medium pink with white throat. *'Spotty' - flowers rose-purple with odd random white spots and unpigmented, short stripes. Bred by Hannibal. The species has also been used in a number of hybrids commonly cultivated. *''Crinum'' × ''herbertii'' G.Don ex Loud. (''C. bulbispermum'' × ''C. scabrum'') *''Crinum'' × ''powellii'' hort. ex Baker (''C. bulbispermum'' × ''C. moorei'') The most hardy of all ''Crinum'' species.

Cultivation and uses

This is one of the most commonly cultivated species, grown as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

for its flowers. It is best grown in deep soils that receive and hold a lot of water during the growing season and should be left to grow in the same place without disturbance for many years. Plants require full sun. They also make good container plants. The species is hardy to USDA zone 6 or −10 °C if the bulb is protected. Propagation is by division or seeds. Seedlings will flower in their third or fourth year.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q847264 bulbispermum Flora of Southern Africa Garden plants Plants described in 1768 Taxa named by Nicolaas Laurens Burman