PlantSnap Photos of the Week 2020

Gloriosa superba - Flame lily

Gloriosa superba – Flame lily

Gloriosa superba, also known as the flame lily or climbing lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. This plant is poisonous with enough toxin to cause death in humans and animals if ingested. It has been used to commit murder, to achieve suicide, and to kill animals. Every part of the plant is poisonous, especially the tuberous rhizomes.

Gloriosa superba is a perennial herb growing from a fleshy rhizome. It climbs using modified leaf-tip tendrils, the stem reaching roughly 4 meters long on average. The leaves are alternately arranged, but they may sometimes be opposite. The leaves are somewhat lance-shaped and tipped with tendrils, and they are up 13 – 20 centimeters long. The showy flower has six tepals each up to 5 – 8 centimeters long. They are generally bright red to orange in color at maturity, sometimes having yellowish bases.