The Phyto-Philes: Flame Lily

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Flame Lily

Willem says: 'The Phyto-Philes are for plant lovers of every size and shape, colour and flavour. As with my Colours of Wildlife column, I'll be featuring one species per article, illustrated with sketches, paintings, and/or photos. Over time I hope to be showcasing the amazing diversity of weird and wonderful plants that occur in South Africa, while also from time to time looking at the flora of other countries. While featuring many spectacular species, I'll not be neglecting the smaller, more humble kinds that are nevertheless fascinating in their own right.'

Flame Lily by Willem.


It has been a recent theme of mine here in Phyto Philes to feature plants named lilies which really arent lilies. Today we have the Flame Lily, Gloriosa superba, which again isnt a true lily, but at least it is fairly close! It is a member of the Colchicaceae, a plant family that doesnt have a common name at the moment, which is indeed related to the true lilies, the Liliaceae. The scientific name of this species means just what you would think it does: gloriosa means glorious and superba means superb! And when you look at it youll also know why it was named that. Related very striking plants in South Africa include the Christmas Bells, Sandersonia, and Pyjama flowers, Androcymbium.


Flame lilies are widespread in South Africa, growing from the Eastern Cape through Kwazulu-Natal and the eastern Orange Free State to Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province, and from there into Zimbabwe and northward into tropical Africa. It also occurs in tropical Asia. Locally they grow in clumps of bush, on the margins of forests, or on coastal dunes. The plants have subterranean tubers from which annual stems emerge. These twine around and over surrounding bushes, using leaves with long, thin tips that curl tendril-like around anything they can grab onto. This supports the thin stems to allow them to grow to a height of around 5m/16, although 2m/about 7 is more typical. In the dry winter the stems die back but the tubers survive, sending out new stems in the next spring.


The glorious flowers appear in spring and early summer. They are large, up to 7 cm/about 3” in diameter, and very distinctive. The six petals are curled backwards and have crinkly margins. They vary in colour, usually being bright orange or red with some yellow at the bottom. They can also be all-red, all-yellow or even almost white. Below the petals the male organs, the stamens, stand out sideways with the banana-shaped anthers at their tips. This gives the flower a unique and unmistakable shape. They are probably pollinated by birds and/or butterflies. I am fortunate to have encountered these flowers in the wild. The photo I include here was taken on the southern Kwazulu-Natal coast in dense but low coastal bush.


All parts of this plant, especially the tubers, are extremely poisonous, containing a toxin called colchicine after the family it belongs to. But it is used medicinally for an incredible variety of complaints, from bruises and sprains to hemorrhoids, cancer and leprosy! It is also used to induce labour or abortion, to combat head lice and intestinal parasites, as an ingredient for arrow poison, and for committing suicide or even murder! Needless to say I dont recommend that anyone reading this article try this plant for any of these purposes. Incredibly, porcupines and mole rats eat these tubers with apparent indemnity.

Wild Flame Lily.


But if given proper respect the Flame Lily can be cultivated for its beauty and is very rewarding. I had one … I think it might still exist among the chaos that is my garden, but it has not flowered yet, perhaps because of not being in a sunny enough position. The flame lily can be grown from seed, (which you can get by mail from Silverhill Seeds) ,which must be sown in spring on a well-draining compost mixture and covered with a thin sprinkling of compost or vermiculite, and then kept moist and warm. Be patient – germination can take up to four months. Let the seedlings grow until they are strong and then plant them out into individual pots. Dont overwater these plants … it is best to let the medium dry out between waterings. When the stems die back at the end of summer, keep them dry until the onset of the next spring. Protect them against frosts during the winter. They benefit from being re-potted as they grow. The tubers can be split during this resting period for propagating the plants. In warm, frost-free regions they can be grown outside, letting them grow up fences, trellises or surrounding bushes.

Colours of Wildlife Archive

Willem

13.05.13 Front Page

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