What is the difference between Amaryllis and Crinums ?

Or are they the same ? I bought some bulbs as large as softballs and the lady said they were Crinums.I bought them this summer and planted them in the yard,they came up but did not bloom...hummm ?

Hi Linda,
Crinums do not particularly like to be moved. My Ellen Bosanquet didn't bloom for the first 3 years that I had her. Just when I thought that it would never happen....magic! Don't give up on them blooming. Next year could be your year, especially since the bulbs were of such a large size. Did the lady you bought them from give you a name or color?
Bev

i am not the one to explain this but amaryllis and crinum are not the same. and also on blooming i think crinums have to reach a certain size and not all crinums are the same size bulb in the first place. now that i have enlightened you i will bow out. lol.

So the diffrence is ...larger bulbs..annd loner to bloom,but is the bloom the same or diffrent ? I got thse from a master gardener sale for $1.00 each and she just said they were pink. When I saw those huge blubs I didn't care what it was,I just wanted to plant it..lol

http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/crinum.htm

some info. on crinums.

http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/crinum.htm

are you talking about amaryllis belladonna or are you talking about the plants we all call amaryllis which are really hippeastrum? lol. here is an article on the latter.

http://www.floridata.com/ref/H/hippeast.cfm

the link in the post above is wrong. here is an article explaining hippeastrum vs. amaryllis.

Thanks, Barbara for answering questions I didn't know I had.

Both Crinum and Amaryllis (the true one and not Hippeastrum which is from Sth America) belong to the same family, Amaryllidaceae.

Crinum is evident in most countries, where Amaryllis is specific to Sth Africa. Usually it's the genetic make up which determines which Genus they belong to, although originally plant collectors only had other features to go on, hence the mix up and recent changing of some plants into another Genus.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=136220

Amaryllis belladonna comes from the Cape,

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/bulbs-perennial/Amarybe.htm

It is also the sole species of Amaryllis,

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP060

This article gives some history of Hippeastrum

http://www.kew.org/plants/springbulbs/hippeastrum.html

Thank you for all the great info.