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Crinum flaccidum
Also called Macquarie Lily, Murray Lily
Crinum flaccidum, known variously as the Darling lily, Murray lily or Macquarie lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. It is native to inland Australia. The Darling river people — the Paakantyi — called this plant paalampaltharu.
C. flaccidum is often mistaken for "true lilies" (Liliaceae family) due to similar basal leaf conformation. However, C. flaccidum does not belong to the Liliaceae family and therefore does not share the toxicities of this family. C. flaccidum is reported to be toxic to humans, though the evidence is inconsistent. The responsible toxin is unknown yet it is suspected to be isoquinoline phenanthridine alkaloids. The risk of danger is considered to be low however vomiting can occur when camping among a large number of flowering plants.
Crinum spp. are found in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world including Africa, Australasia and India. Crinum spp. is found in all mainland states of Australia. C. flaccidum is found broadly scattered along floodways of inland river systems, primarily on the eastern half of Australia. These areas include eastern Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, north-eastern Victoria and eastern South Australia. Additionally, disjunction populations can be found in the north-west corner of Western Australia.
For centuries, Crinum spp. have been used in traditional medicine and ailments. The bulbs of C. flaccidum were used by Australia's First Nations people as a rich source of starch which when cooked and then eaten would provide a source of arrowroot/gruel. However, other reports suggest that local people agree that the bulb is poisonous.
Seven sisters · Crinum angustifolium · Poisonbulb · Crinum bakeri · Hardy swamplily · Crinum calamistratum · Pink Striped Trumpet Lily · Crinum lorifolium · Pyjama lily · Crinum malabaricum · Crinum mauritianum · Inanda Lily
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Crinum flaccidum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
