The base of a flowering stem of the giant Himalayan lily, Cardiocrinum giganteum. The picture was taken in late Autumn following flowering, and shows
The base of a flowering stem of the giant Himalayan lily, Cardiocrinum giganteum. The picture was taken in late Autumn following flowering, and shows two developing offset bulbs appearing at ground level from the base of the stem. C. giganteum is a monocarpic plant; it requires up to seven years of growth from a seed in order to reach flowering size, and once it has flowered, it dies. Survival depends on the production of copious amounts of wind-dispersed seeds, which if from cross-pollinated flowers will maintain genetic diversity. However, the plant is a geophyte; it can reproduce vegetatively by the production of offset bulbs. The bulbs are underground buds; they provide insurance in the wild against seed failure. For gardeners they are a way of maintaining the plant in cultivation. Detached from the stem and grown on, these offset bulbs will reach flowering size in 3 years
Size: 3468px × 5212px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: bulb, cardiocrinum, cross, garden, geophyte, giant, giganteum, himalayan, lily, monocarpic, offset, plant, pollination, propagation, seed, vegetative
