Gloriosa superba

Gloriosa superba, commonly known as the flame lily, is a cormous climbing plant that reaches about 2 m in height. Climbing is facilitated by tendrils that grow from the leaf-tips.

In South Africa G. superba grows along the coast in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo Lowveld. It also occurs in some neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia.

The plant tends to ramble among other plants in semi-shade of scrub and in coastal bush. It is dormant in the dry winters of its summer rainfall habitat. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century. 

This plant is well known for its very attractive and popular flowers. It is grown commercially as a garden subject and for certain chemical substances obtained from it. The plant has a variety of traditional medicinal uses. The seeds are sometimes used as beads. G. superba is the national flower of Zimbabwe where it is protected. It is also recognized as a symbol in certain parts of India. 

All parts of the plant are highly poisonous, containing a substance called colchicine (Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998; www.plantzafrica.com; iNaturalist; Wikipedia; http://redlist.sanbi.org).