Now it is rainy season here in my area (Orissa). These flowers have very sweet and mild fragrance. They bloom in rain. They bloom just in the evening like Four o'Clock flowers. Our front yard pavement sides are filled with their fragrance in the evening. Can anyone tell its name?
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Ok! Let me tell you all about this pristine beauty. It's white Crinum Lily.Crinum Lily is also known as Poison Lily, Seashore Lily, Grand crinum lily, Poison Bulb, Giant Crinum Lily, Spider Lily. In Hindi it is called Nagadamini and Sudarsana. In Oriya we call it just Lily.
My father with a couple of Crinum Lily in our premises
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I asked my father who is quite a living repository of knowledge of herbs and plants and quite a good gardener. He told me that it is banua Lily means wild lily. Its botanical name is Crinum asiaticum.
Crinum is a genus of about 180 species of perennial plants. The genus name Crinum originates from the Greek word Krinon, which means white lily, referring to the white or whitish flowers which most species produce. They are found in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. Crinum Lily is a fast growing, large perennial herb. It grows from a bulb. The flowers are shaped like tubes that open into a crown of narrow petals. The flowers are white and are arranged in clusters on the top of thick, succulent stems. The thick flower stalks emerge from the bases of the plants. There is usually only one 2-3 foot stalk per plant. At the end of each stalk, a cluster of flower buds form which opens into a cluster of mild but very sweet fragrant flowers. It prefers bright sunlight but will grow in part shade also, it needs average watering. Crinum lilies do well in dry soils and are fairly drought tolerant. Plant these in pots or better directly in the garden soil where they will quickly root to form new plants. It is grown as an exotic ornamental plant for its attractive form and flowers.
The plant is not edible and is poisonous. All parts of crinum lily may cause severe discomfort if swallowed. The sap of the plant can cause skin irritation. But it has traditional medicinal uses like poultice for sores, chaps or aches in any part of the body. Paste of mashed leaves are used for treatment of piles. A mixture of leaf paste and honey is often applied to wounds .