Gloriosa

Gloriosa, or commonly the flame lily, is a genus of climbing or erect, cormous plants. They are herbaceous perennials forming part of the Colchicaceae family. Some reach heights around 3 m. The plants are poisonous.

The starchy corms are often irregular in shape and size, sometimes bent or finger-like and sometimes seated deep in the ground. Their usually brown surfaces are often rough, while white or cream inside. The stems are supple, tending to climb.

The simple, sessile leaves are alternate, sometimes whorled or crowded in places. The leaves are ovate, lanceolate or linear, several with tips attenuating into recurved tendrils facilitating the climbing habit of some of the species. There are sometimes three notable veins along the blades and a fold down the centre.

The flowers nod on long pedicels, growing next to or between upper stem leaves. The six perianth segments are free and equal, narrowly ovate and tapering as well as recurving to their tips. The margins are often crisped, the yellow or red segments persistent. There are six stamens on spreading filaments in two whorls. The three-locular ovary is superior, the ovules borne on the inner axis. The thread-like style is bent outwards at its base and ending in three short stigma branches.

The leathery fruit capsules are cylindrical or ovoid with three valves that open when ripe. The fleshy red seeds are globose.

There are about 14 species of Gloriosa in Africa and Asia, only one in southern Africa. Some of the plants feature in medicinal applications. The plant in picture is Gloriosa superba (Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Manning, 2009; Wikipedia).