Crinum, Queen Emma Crinum, Purple Crinum, Giant Crinum

            Crinum amabile Donn. (Sumatra)

            Crinum augustum Roxb. (Mauritius, Seychelles)

CRY-num ah-MAW-bah-lee and ah-GUST-um

Liliaceae

Explanation of name: Crinum is a Greek name for a lily (BA1). Amabile means agreeable. Augustum means robust.

Natural range: Tropical Asia (see above)

Recognition: Crinum amabile and C. augustum are similar, taxonomically confused, and sometimes interpreted as comprising a single species (discussion in BA1). Both are large (3’-5’, C. augustum marginally larger). According to BA1 (if the two merit separate status) C. amabile has narrow tepals (< ½”) and smaller bulbs (< 6” diam. vs. larger). ‘Queen Emma’, a large cultivar with rich deep pink flowers, is the primary cultivar of C. augustum (and is reportedly a sterile hybrid involving also C. moorei) (http://www.ntbg.org/plants/plant_details.php?rid=435&plantid=11808). Selections from this complex tend toward purplish pigments, the purpling variably expressed at different strengths in the foliage and flowers.

            Crinum taxonomy within the horticultural world is utterly confused, and garden publications can not be trusted, especially when it comes to the species names on the present page. Whether either C. amabile or C. augustum are “good” species is open to debate.  Another "species" is C. procerum (see below), to which 'Queen Emma' is sometimes assigned, and which is sometimes regarded asa synonym of C. asiaticum.  The cultivars are possible hybrid cultigens of obscure origins. For one formal taxonomic review of Crinum by L. S. Hannibal, see: http://www.doofus.org/Crinum/review.html   From this, consider:

“We have C. amabile and C. augustum which Herbert considered hybrids since they are seed and pollen sterile. They are noted for their large showy wine-red blossoms. Crinum amabile is the lesser in size and its 30 odd blossoms have linear Stenaster-type tepals while C. augustum has a larger conical bulb and semi-lorate Platyaster tepals. Raina and Khoshoo report the latter sterile since it is a triploid. Several breeders, including the writer have semiduplicates of C. amabile obtained by crossing C. asiaticum var. pedunculatum with C. latifolium variants. Such wide bicladial outcrosses are normally sterile.”

Landscape uses: These are large, herbaceous, eye-catching focal points or space fillers requiring ample moisture.