''Cardiocrinum'' is a genus of
bulbous plants
Bulb or Bulbs may refer to:
Common uses
* Bulb, a food-storage structure within some plants
** Ornamental bulb, a kind of perennial plant
* Light bulb, an electric lamp
Maritime
* Bulb keel, a type of keel
* Bulbous bow, a part that sticks ou ...
of the
lily family first described in 1846. They are native to the
Himalaya,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the
Russian Far East, and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 134 大百合属 da bai he shu ''Cardiocrinum'' (Endlicher) Lindley, Veg. Kingd. 205. 1846.
/ref> The bulbs are usually formed at the soil surface. The preferred habitat is woodland. The plants tend to be monocarpic, dying after flowering.
Description
''Cardiocrinum'' is a genus of monocarpic perennial herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
s.
Taxonomy
''Cardiocrinum'' was originally described by Endlicher in 1836 as one of five sections of '' Lilium'', to which it is closely related. Later authors considered it a separate genus. The common name is giant lilies. They differ from ''Lilium'' in some characteristics, most notably in the heart shaped leaves. The genus name alludes to these leaves, from the Greek ''kardia'', heart, and ''krinon'', lily.
The Himalayan species ''Cardiocrinum giganteum
''Cardiocrinum giganteum'', the giant Himalayan lily, is the largest species of any of the lily plants, growing up to 3.5 metres high. It is found in the Himalayas, China and Myanmar (Burma).
;Varieties
Two varieties are recognized
*''C. gigan ...
'' is the largest of any of the lily plants, growing up to 3.5 metres high.
Species
The genus ''Cardiocrinum'' is endemic to East Asia and has three species, two of which occur in China.
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Liliaceae
Liliaceae genera
Taxa named by Stephan Endlicher
{{Liliales-stub