1229
Crinum malabaricum Lekhak & S. R. Yadav
|
Family |
: |
Amaryllidaceae |
|
Local
name |
: |
English- Malabar River Lily |
|
Flowering
and fruiting period |
: |
August-November |
|
Distribution |
: |
Native
to India |
|
Distribution
in Kerala |
: |
Kannur,
Kasaragod |
|
Habitat |
: |
Streams
in Laterite rocks , submerged aquatic |
|
Endemic/Exotic |
: |
Endemic
to Northern Kerala |
|
Uses |
|
An
important source of Galanthamine used in treatment of Alzheimer disease. |
|
Key botanical characters: Fully immersed herbs with tunicated bulbs
rooted into the watercourse bed; bulbs whitish, in clusters of 20 - 30,
globose, 3.5 - 10 χ 2.5 - 8 cm in diam., gradually narrowing into a neck;
neck 3 - 7 χ 2 - 3.5 cm, white to purple. Leaves 8-19 per bulb, 200 - 400 χ 2
- 6 cm, whitish in the basal part, dark green above, spirally arranged,
cartilaginous, flat, strap-shaped, many nerved, floating on the water
surface, gradually narrowing from the base to apex, acute, margins minutely
spinulate; spinules pointed forward. Peduncles arising laterally from bulb,
50 - 120 χ 1.3 - 3.6 cm, dorsiventrally compressed, green to dark green with
purple tinge above, whitish at the base. Involucral bracts 2, 3 - 9 χ 0.3 -
2.5 cm, many-nerved, initially hyaline, at anthesis reddish tinged, margins
inflexed. Umbels 6 - 13-flowered. Flowers white, sweet-scented. Pedicel up to
1.5 cm long at anthesis. Floral bracts 6.5 - 9 χ 0.3 - 0.5 cm, 3 - 5-nerved,
drooping, hyaline, sometimes reddish tinged, broader at base, gradually
narrowing at apex, apex thickened. Perianth tube 7 - 12.5 cm long, pale green
to reddish; perianth segments shining white, 5 - 10 χ 0.7 - 1.3 cm, drooping
at anthesis, thickened and hooded at apex. Stamens 6, arcuate erect;
filaments 5-7 cm long, dark red in distal half; anthers black, 1 - 1.5 cm
long. Ovary 1.5 - 2 χ 0.3 - 1 cm, 3-loculed; ovules 5 - 10 in each locule.
Style dark red distally, 15 - 18 cm long; stigma 3-lobed, penicillate.
Capsules irregularly globose, 1.5 - 3 cm in diam., membranous, 5-13 per inflorescence,
green when young, dark purple at maturity. Seeds 3 - 16, irregular in shape
and size, chlorophyllous |
||
 |
||
