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Common Name: Murray Lily

General Information

Crinum flaccidum is a clump-forming bulbous plant forming a cluster of spreading, spear-shaped leaves at the base that can be 30 - 80cm long, and a flowering stem from 10 - 75cm tall.
The edible bulb is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use,

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - All mainland states

Habitat

Sandy inundated flats of river flood plains[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Crinum flaccidum is a plant mainly of warm temperate to subtropical areas in Australia, just extending into the tropical zone. Plants can only tolerate the lightest frosts when in active growth, and are unlikely to succeed outdoors in any but the mildest regions of the temperate zone. They will require winter protection in all but the mildest areas of the temperate zone, though often a good mulch of dry bracken might be sufficient[].
Succeeds in full sun or partial shade, requiring a well-drained soil[]. Requires a rich well-drained soil in a sheltered sunny position[, ].
Only plant out good sized bulbs, do so in late spring, and plant them quite deeply in the soil[].
The bulbs are sensitive to transplanting and may take several years to establish[]. After this, they will usually reproduce rapidly from offsets to produce the overcrowded conditions that stimulate them to flower freely[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[].
It is possible that other members of this genus will also provide edible bulbs[].

Edible Uses

Root - cooked. Rich in starch[, ], it is a source of arrowroot[, , , ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, placing 2 - 3 seeds in individual pots in a greenhouse. Do not cover the seed. Sow stored seed mid spring in a warm greenhouse. 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 in the greenhouse for at least their first 2 years, planting them out into their permanent positions in the spring.
Division of offsets in mid spring or in September. When divided in the spring, the bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, if done in September, however, they should be potted up and overwintered in the greenhouse.