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CRINUM 



CRINUM 



Crinums in Florida and the South. 



The various species of Crinum belong to the most 

 important, the most beautiful and the most popular 

 of Florida garden plants. No plants grow so easily, 

 with so little attention, and no plants are so floriferous 

 and so deliciously fragrant. Some of the species, as 

 C. zeylanicum, C. erubescens and C. Sanderianum, are 

 so common in gardens, that they are little appreciated 

 by people in general. Planted together in masses or in 

 borders and in front of shrubbery, they look extremely 

 beautiful. They grow best in rich, somewhat moist 

 soil, but they are also perfectly at home in the high 

 pineland ridges when well fertilized and cultivated. 

 There is great confusion in the nomenclature of these 

 plants, scarcely half a dozen being correctly named in 

 the various catalogues. The following notes are based 

 on many years' experience with crinums in Florida, 

 and the names represent plants that the author con- 

 siders to be proper representatives of the species. 



C. abyssinicum has white flowers and is attractive, but it does not 

 grow well in the sandy soils of Florida. 



C. amabile. Very much like C. augustum in growth and the 

 flowers also much the same, but it is considerably smaller and 

 multiplies rapidly by offsets. Every three or four years it must be 

 replanted in fresh rich ground, and the offsets must then be re- 

 moved. It is a very beautiful plant, and much more floriferus than 

 the C. augustum, flowering in every month of the year. The per- 

 fume of the masses of flowers in spring and summer is so strong 

 that it pervades the entire garden. It does not bear seeds in 

 Florida, but the pollen is fertile and can be used in cross-breeding. 

 C. americanum. Common atong muddy banks of lakes and rivers. 

 A very beautiful pure white, intensely fragrant species and very 

 valuable in hybridizing work. Flower-stem usually 3 feet high, 

 bearing mostly four flowers. Grows well in gardens, particularly 

 in rich moist soil. 



C. amcenum. A rather small-growing Asiatic species with long 

 slender bulbs and white flowers tinged red on the outside. Rare. 

 C. asiaticum. The columnar stem-like bulb, about 12 to 15 

 inches long, grows mostly above the ground. In planting it should 

 never be set deep in the ground; a few inches is sufficient. The 

 leaves are arranged in a rosette. They are about 3 feet long, very 

 broad near the bulb, gradually narrowing to a sharp point at the 

 end. The color is light bluish green. Flowers almost all the year 

 round, even in winter when the weather is warm, usually 20 flowers 

 in an umbel being borne always a little above the foliage on a 

 strong stem. The flowers are pure white, with linear narrow seg- 

 ments; filaments and stigma purplish red, yellowish white in the 

 lower third. Strangely and deliciously fragrant. A real gem among 

 our garden flowers. Hardy all over the Gulf Coast region, where it 

 forms in time large and impressive clumps of tropical foliage. 

 Bears large pea-green fleshy seeds abundantly. Excellent for 

 raising hybrids. 



C. augustum. "Great Mogul" of Barbados. The largest-growing 

 of all our crinums, specimens 4 feet high and 6 to 8 feet in diameter 

 being not uncommon. It needs rich moist soil and a fair amount of 

 good fertilizer. Leaves are very broad, 4 to 5 feet long, narrowing 

 gradually to a sharp point, deeply channeled. It blooms con- 

 tinually for months. Flower-stem an inch in diameter, purplish- 

 red, 4 feet high, bearing a large umbel of glossy purplish crimson 

 flower-buds which are pink inside after opening. Nearly twenty 

 flowers to each umbel, giving a large mass of very beautiful 

 and deliciously fragrant blossoms. This umbel is so large and 

 heavy that it soon bends over and finally lies on the ground. For 

 this reason, it is necessary to tie it to a strong bamboo stake. 

 It is difficult to propagate, as offsets are formed slowly. A plant 

 five years old has formed only two side-shoots. Although it affords 

 ;ood pollen for hybridizing purposes, it does not seed. Hardy in 

 "ew Orleans. 



C. campanuktium (C. caffrum). Very distinct, with beautiful 

 glaucous green leaves and umbels of six to eight rosy red cam- 

 mnulate flowers. The flowers are much recurved at their edges, 

 -t blooms several times each year. One plant, although eighteen 

 years old, never made a side-shoot. It grows wild in ponds in 

 southern Africa and very likely needs moist soil. 



C. Careyanum (offered in the trade as C. virgineum which is 

 really a white-flowering species from Brazil). It also goes under 

 the name of C. grandum. This is a doubtful plant, being perhaps an 

 old English hybrid. It is very distinct from all other crinums, very 

 beautiful and deliciously fragrant and a night-bloomer. Flower- 

 stem 3 feet high, with an umbel of six to eight pure white flowers 

 with a faint red band in the center. The buds are reddish and the 

 stem is purplish grayish green. Bears no seed. 



C. caribxum. Reminds one of C. americanum, but flower-stem 

 grayish purple on a green ground. Flowers pure white, very fra- 

 grant. Rare. 



C. crassipes. Bulbs conical, very large, 8 to 10 inches in diameter. 

 Forms offsets tardily, if at all. Flower-stem short. Flowers fifteen 

 to twenty in an umbel, white, bell-shaped, faintly keeled with pink. 

 C. erubescens (usually advertised as C. fimbriatulum). One of 

 the most common species in Florida gardens. Increases rapidly 

 by offsets. Leaves long, thin and narrow, 2 to 3 feet long: flower- 

 stem 2 to 3 feet tall, purplish green, carrying usually four to six 

 very beautiful fragrant flowers, pure white with a faint pink keel, 



outside purplish red. Does not bear seeds, and pollen, and is useless 

 for cross-breeding. Found everywhere in gardens. 



C. fimbriatulum. Extremely rare, and not in the trade. Flowers 

 pure white, with a soft red band in the center of each petal. One 

 plant formed only five offsets in the course of eight years. 



C. giganteum. Perhaps the most beautiful species, the leaves 

 being as ornamental as an aspidistra or a dracena. Evergreen 

 like C. pedunculatum, C. amabile, C. augustum, and C. asiaticum. 

 The leaves are about 3 feet long, rich deep green with a slight 

 bluish tint. It forms large clumps in the course of a few years. 

 Flowers six to eight in an umbel, bell-shaped, creamy white in the 

 bud, pure white when fully expanded, exhaling a very strong vanilla- 

 like perfume. They appear six or eight times during the year, 

 even in winter when the weather is warm. Needs rich moist soil 

 and does not thrive satisfactorily on high dry land. An excellent 

 species for hybridization. 



C. imbricatum. Allied to C. giganteum, but bulbs much larger 

 and leaves rather glaucous green, strongly nerved, with serrated 

 edges. Flowers similar, but creamy white. Flowers usually two or 

 three times during the year. This is as beautiful as C. giganteum, 

 but it does not form such large clumps in the course of a few years. 

 Seeds freely. 



C. Kunthianum. A large-growing species, with a fine rosette of 

 bright green spreading leaves and large umbels of pure white 

 flowers. Its variety nicaraguense is a still larger-growing plant. 

 The flower-stem is quite short, about a foot high, bearing five or 

 six very large white flowers with a faint pink band in the center, 

 purplish on the outside. The flowers of both are strongly fragrant. 

 C. longifolium. An excellent plant for hybridizing. The leaves 

 are glaucous green, flowers eight to twelve in an umbel, pink, 

 flushed with deeper red on the outside. A fine foliage plant, 

 though flowers not very showy. The white variety, C. longifolium 

 album, with very beautiful pure white bell-shaped flowers, is a 

 very showy plant and much superior to the type. 



C. Macowanii. Forms very large bulbs with long slender necks. 

 A beautiful species with pink flowers, but very difficult to grow in 

 light soils. It does not flower regularly each year. 



C. Moorei. Bulb very large, 6 to 8 inches in diameter, with a very 

 long slender, stem-like neck about 10 to 12 inches long. The leaves 

 are very beautiful, long and thin and very wavy. It usually flowers 

 in March in central Florida. Flowers four to ten in an umbel, bell- 

 shaped, rosy or pinkish red and deliciously fragrant. There is a 

 beautiful white form of this extremely beautiful species. Var. 

 Schmidtii, which usually flowers also in March or April. Both 

 kinds bear seeds if hand-p9llinated with their own pollen or crossed 

 with different other species. This crinum will not thrive well in 

 the light sandy soils. It requires a heavier soil with some clay 

 in it, and it grows well only in a lath-house. 



C. pedunculatum. Very rare in Florida gardens. Reminds one 

 of C. asiaticum, but the bulb is shorter, more massive and the 

 leaves thinner and of a brighter green. Flowers twenty to twenty- 

 five in an umbel, pure white and strongly fragrant. This plant 

 needs rich mucky soil to do its best. It does not thrive on dry 

 ground. It is a much shyer bloomer than C. asiaticum, with which 

 it is often confounded. 



C. podophyllum. This is another evergreen species, almost a 

 miniature C. imbricatum. Leaves glaucuous green, strongly nerved, 

 with serrated edges. Bulb only a few inches in diameter and very 

 short. Flower-stem about 10 inches high bearing only a few pure 

 white strongly fragrant flowers. Flowers only once during the 

 summer. 



C. pratense. Bulb 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Flowers white. 

 Requires moist rich soil. Rare. 



C. purpurascens. This small species, with linear undulated 

 leaves about a foot long, forms large clumps in rich moist soil, 

 thriving with caladiums, marantas, ferns, and other shade-loving 

 plants. Flowers five to six in an umbel, slightly red in bud and 

 pink when expanded. Flower-stem purplish, only about 6 to 8 

 inches high. 



C. Sanderianum (Milk-and-Wine Lily). Common in Florida 

 gardens. Flowers white, keeled with bright red, deeper red on the 

 outside. Flower-stems 3 feet high, carrying five or six flowers in 

 the umbel. Bears no seed. 



C. scabrum. One of the showiest. Flowers large, amaryllis- 

 like, pure white, banded crimson, reminding one of Hippeastrum 

 vittatum. Very fragrant, but flowers of short duration. Flowers 

 three or four times during spring and summer. Bears seed abun- 

 dantly and can be easily cross-fertilized with other species. Grows 

 well on high dry pine land, but, like all crinums, requires rich soil. 

 C. variabile. When in bloom, this is the showiest of all the 

 species. Bulbs very large, conical. Flower-umbels consist of 

 fifteen to twenty large pure white bell-shaped flowers, being borne 

 well above the foliage, standing upright. The flowers are faintly 

 striped with pink. Three or four stems are usually pushed up at 

 the same time from one large bulb, and beds consisting of twenty- 

 five or fifty bulbs are a magnificent sight, as almost all the buds 

 open at the same time. This crinum is strictly a night-bloomer, the 

 flowers begining to open in the dusk of evening, remaining in per- 

 fect condition until sunrise. A clump or a bed of this species in 

 full bloom during a moonlight night has a wonderful effect. I 

 looks particularly beautiful under palms. This species is hardy 

 as far north as southern Missouri and Kentucky, with a little 

 protection in the form of stable manure or dry leaves. It has been 

 received under the names C. Kirkii, C. ornatum and C. lattfohum. 

 Does not bear seeds. 



C. yemense. Flowers pure white, bell-shaped and somewhat 

 fragrant. Bears seeds. Excellent for cross-breeding purposes. 



C. zeylanicum (often sold as C. Kirkii). Perhaps the most com- 

 mon of all the crinums, being found in almost every garden, even 

 in the backwoods. The flowers which are intensely fragrant are 

 borne on tall purplish stems. They are deep crimson in the bud 



