Leaf rosette of a giant Himalayan lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum) in a garden in Norfolk, UK, in April. The picture shows a whorl of developing leaves e

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Leaf rosette of a giant Himalayan lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum) in a garden in Norfolk, UK, in April. The picture shows a whorl of developing leaves encasing at their centre a developing inflorescence. At this stage of growth, the leaves have a marked purple hue to their veins. C. giganteum is a member of the Liliaceae, and a native of the Himalayas, NW Burma and SW China. It is a monocarpic perennial which slowly produces a large bulb. After flowering, this bulb dies, leaving offsets, that can be grown on. It requires a cool moist site in moderate shade for successful growth as a garden plant. The rosette in this picture has developed from a bulb that has finally reached flowering size after 6 years from seed, and is on a short stem of 30cm. The stem will eventually expand to about 2m in height.

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Size: 3468px × 5212px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: biological, biology, botanical, botany, bulb, bulbs, cardiocrinum, close-, detail, flora, garden, giant, giganteum, himalayan, himalayas, horticulture, leaf, leaves, liliaceae, lily, monocarpic, nature, offset, perennial, plant