Gloriosa superba L.

Global description

Gloriosa superba is a vivacious herb that is maintained during the dry season by its tuber. The aerial unit is lianescent and can measure 0.5 to 2.5 m long. There are 1-4 stems growing from a tuber. The leaves are simple, alternate, sometimes opposite or whorled, sessile, lanceolate oval. The base is clasping and the top is long acuminate often ending in a single long tendril. Both sides are green, smooth and shiny, the margin is entire. The flowers are solitary, axillary, borne on a long stalk. The large perianth is formed of 6 long tepals of 4 to 10 cm, narrowly lanceolate, margin more or less corrugated. They are red, yellow or bicolor and quickly reflected. The 6 stamens are slender, spreading, and are carried by a filament as long as the tepals. The short fusiform ovary is topped by a long filiform style, bent at right angles at the base and trifid at its end. The fruit is an ellipsoid capsule with three loculus, each containing a large number of red round seeds.

General habit
 
Gloriosa superba is an herbaceous lianescent plant, 0.5 to 2.5 m long and which clings to the supports with the tendrils located at the tip of the leaves.
 
Underground system

The underground system is a fusiform tuberous rhizome, horizontal, 10 to 15 cm long.
 
Stem
 
One to four stems grow from a tuber. The stem is cylindrical, full, smooth and bright green. It is simple or slightly branched, low self-supporting.
 
Leaf
 
The leaves are simple, alternate, which can sometimes be opposite or whorled. They are sessilles or clasping. The lamina is oval lanceolate, cordate to clasping base, and long attenuated apex, acuminate often ending in a simple roughly wound tendril. It measures 5 to 8 cm long (sometimes up to 20 cm) and 1.5 to 4 cm wide. The tendrils may measure 3 to 5 cm long. The margin is whole and both sides are smooth, bright green. The lamina is a little thick, fleshy, covered numerous parallel veins.
 
Inflorescence
 
The flowers are single, axillary held by a long stalk usually curving downwards.
 
Flower
 
The flower has a perianth consisting of 6 tepals linear or narrowly lanceolate, 4 to 10 cm long and 25 to 30 mm wide, margin more or less undulating, except for the form previously called G. simplex whose margin is not corrugated. They are red, yellow or bicolor and very quickly reflected towards the stalk. The six stamens are slender, spreading; the filament is as long as the tepals. Anthers are fusiform 10 mm long and fixed to the filament by their environment. The ovary is superior, fusiform, short, topped by a long filiform style, bent at right angles from the base and trifid at the top.
 
Fruit
 
The fruit is an ellipsoid capsule with 3 loculus, 4 to 10 cm long and 1 to 2 cm in diameter. Each loculus contains up to twenty seeds.
 
Seed
 
The seed is spherical, 4 to 5 mm in diameter and bright red.

https://www.gbif.org/species/2740024