What is "cardiocrinum"

Cardiocrinum is a genus of bulbous plants of the lily family first described as a genus in 1846. They are native to the Himalaya, China, the Russian Far East, and Japan. The bulbs are usually formed at the soil surface. The preferred habitat is woodland. The plants tend to be monocarpic, dying after flowering.

They are closely related to Lilium and are generally called by the common name giant lilies. They differ from Lilium in some characteristics, most notably in the heart shaped leaves (hence the name, from the Greek kardio for heart, and krinum for lily).

The Himalayan species Cardiocrinum giganteum is the largest of any of the lily plants, growing up to 3.5 metres high.

1. Cardiocrinum cathayanum (E.H.Wilson) Stearn - E + C China
2. Cardiocrinum cordatum (Thunb.) Makino - Japan, Kuril Islands, Sakhalin
3. Cardiocrinum giganteum (Wall.) Makino - Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim