http://flowersofindia.net/

This is my favorite flower. We had a plant that my grandad got from a nearby lake and put it in our garden some 20 years ago. He passed away a couple of years later. But every winter, it dutifully wakes up from its slumber and makes me fall in love all over again. Until my stay in Madras, first thing every morning, I walked up to my plant to ensure it was alright and to see how many new leaves it had sprouted overnight. I guess I was in love... and it sure was a splendid feeling...

Photo: Rahul Natu

Common name: Glory lily, Gloriosa lily, {Kari hari, Ulatchandal} करी हरी, उलट चन्दल (Hindi), Mendoni (Malayalam), Kallappai kilangu (Tamil), Kal-lavi (Marathi), agnisikhe (Kannada), Agnisikha (Telugu)
Botanical name: Gloriosa superba Family: Liliaceae

A most unusual and exotic flower, the glory lily is a crimson and yellow vision to behold. In bud, the pale green petals face downward. As the blossom matures, the petals elongate and wrinkle and gradually arch backward while sequencing through a spectrum of color from green to yellow to scarlet. The stamens are extremely prominent and spread outward in graceful curves that follow the petals in their backward progression. Depending on the cultivar, the flower is 3-5 in in length. It is the bizarre shape of the flower along with the its vivid colors that make one gasp at first encounter - and then make you want one. What's more, the Glory Lily is a climber, so the beauty spreads around easily. Will grow extremely well in a warm greenhouse or conservatory provided it is given a good compost and is watered regularly when in flower. Ingesting the tubers causes severe poisoning in humans. The plant contains two alkaloids, including colchicine, which cause severe gastroenteritis, vomiting, and possible unconciousness. Severe hair loss is a consistent symptom of colchicine poisoning. A postal stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department to commemorate this flower.

credits: S, who forwarded this website to me.