Pancratium maximum[1] is a perennial glabrous herb that grows up to 30 cm tall arising from a bulb. It is endemic to south western Arabia.[2]

Pancratium maximum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Pancratium
Species:
P. maximum
Binomial name
Pancratium maximum

Characteristics

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Pancratium maximum is a perennial glabrous herb up to 20 cm tall arising from a bulb. The bulb is globose, 4–6 cm in diameter, narrowed above into a cylindrical neck, covered with several layers of dark reddish brown papery tunics. Leaves 2–7 cm long, variable in width, linear-elliptic to narrowly elliptic or ovate and abruptly narrowed into a petiole below, 10–30 cm long x 2.3–18 cm across. The flower is white with yellow anthers and black angular seeds.[3]

Habitat

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Pancratium maximum flowers during the monsoon rains. It grows throughout the areas in Dhofar affected by the monsoon and can be seen in a variety of different environments including coastal plains, wooded mountain slopes, grasslands and high plateaus at the back of mountains[4]..

Uses

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Pancratium maximum is completely useless as fodder for livestock. The bulb and the leaves are toxic to all livestock.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Pancratium maximum Forssk. — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  2. ^ "Pancratium maximum in Global Plants on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  3. ^ G. Miller, Anthony; Morris, Miranda (1988). Plants of Dhofar. Oman. p. 24. ISBN 071570808-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ G. Miller, Anthony; Morris, Miranda (1988). Plants of Dhofar. Oman. p. 24. ISBN 071570808-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ G. Miller, Anthony; Morris, Miranda (1988). Plants of Dhofar. Oman. p. 24. ISBN 071570808-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)