About Crinum pedunculatum Tate
Crinum pedunculatum Tate, commonly called swamp lily, river lily, or mangrove lily, is a bulbous perennial plant. It grows in stream and tidal habitats across the Northern Territory, Queensland, and New South Wales in Australia, as well as in New Guinea and some Pacific Islands. It is not known for certain whether this species is native or introduced to Norfolk Island. Some botanical sources classify Crinum pedunculatum as a synonym of Crinum asiaticum var. pedunculatum. Differences between Crinum asiaticum and C. pedunculatum are subtle. C. pedunculatum is generally somewhat smaller than C. asiaticum, but has broader petals that give it a less fragile appearance. This is a very large bulbous perennial, reaching 2 to 3 metres in height, with a maximum spread of up to 3 metres. It grows well in both full sun and partial shade. In the wild, it is most often found on forest edges, and also occurs at the high tide line near mangroves. It produces white, fragrant flowers clustered in an umbel that holds between 10 and 100 individual flowers. In cultivation, C. pedunculatum works well as an attractive feature plant for large gardens. It prefers a fairly heavily shaded growing position, and makes a good container plant when kept consistently well-watered. The sap of this plant has been used to treat box jellyfish stings.
