Cardiocrinum cordatum, known as turep in the Ainu languages, is a Northeast Asian species of plant in the lily family. It is native to Japan and to certain Russian islands in the Sea of Okhotsk (Sakhalin, Kuril Islands).Makino, Tomitarô 1932. Journal of Japanese Botany 8: 6.Czerepanov, S.K. (1995). Vascular Plants of Russia and Adjacent States (The Former USSR): 1–516. Cambridge University Press.Makino, Tomitarô 1913. Shokubutsu-gaku zasshi 27:124
Because of its large, showy flowers, Cardiocrinum cordatum is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental in regions outside its native range, though not as frequently as the related C. giganteum.
The Ainu, a group indigenous to Hokkaido, harvested the bulbs. Starch was extracted and used to create a form of dumpling, a staple of Ainu cuisine.
The plant has reportedly become naturalized in the State of Maryland, in the eastern United States.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
References