Crinum latifolium is a herb that arises from an underground bulb. The flowering stems are stout, reaching about 2 m in height. The leaves are long, linear and ligulate. The flowers are white and arranged in an umbel. It grows naturally in Asia, from India and Sri Lanka through much of mainland Southeast Asia to south China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan). It is also reportedly naturalized in the West Indies and in the Chagos Archipelago.