The Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG) Plant of the Month (POM) for July 2023 is Bakong, scientifically known as Crinum asiaticum L. from the family Amaryllidaceae. The plant is native to the Philippines, the Indian Ocean Islands, East and Tropical Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. The genus Crinum comes from the Greek word “krinon” meaning lily while its specific epithet asiaticum is in reference to the plant being native to Asia.
Bakong is an evergreen herb that is commonly planted as ornamental. It has tapered dark green leaves that can grow up to 1 meter from its base. This plant is a bulb-forming perennial plant producing large umbel white flowers.
Did you know?
The entire plant is toxic, especially its bulb which contains a variety of alkaloids such as lycorine and tazettine. When eaten it can cause abdominal pains that led to vomiting, severe diarrhea, difficulty in breathing, and more. When a large amount is consumed, it may cause nervous system paralysis and death!
To view the dedicated video of this plant, please follow this link: https://youtu.be/wplYGbXM4-g
By: AALimpiada and ACMalayba