Gloriossa superba L.

 Gloriosa superba L.

( This plant belongs to the family Liliaceae)

Gloriosa superba

(Bunga Sungsang)

(Hidayat T., 2017)

Classification:

Kingdom         : Plantae

Divisio             : Magnoliophyta

Classis             : Magnoliopsida

Order               : Liliales

Familia            : Liliaceae

Genus              : Gloriosa

Species            : Gloriosa superba

                       

Description:

         Gloriosa superba is a perennial, usually climbing, plant producing sparsely-branched, annual stems from an underground tuber. The stems are usually up to 3 metres long, though occasionally to 6 metres; they can be erect, or they can climb into surrounding vegetation where they attach themselves by means of tendrils at the ends of the leaves.

         is grown commercially as a source of colchicine, which has various medicinal and other uses. A very attractive plant, valued especially for its flowers, it is often grown as an ornamental in the garden, as a pot plant, and is cultivated for the cut flower market. A plant of the lowland tropics and subtropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 600 metres, the plant has a clear preference for seasonal, monsoon climates with a pronounced dry season.

         The plant is not resistant to frost. Succeeds in full sun to partial shade. Prefers a moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil. Prefers an acid to neutral soil. The plant has often escaped from cultivation and has been classified as 'Invasive' in some area.

         Plants propagated from seeds take 3 - 4years to bloom. Plants can flower and produce seeds all year round, though mainly during the rainy season. In Tamil Nadu, India, small-scale plantings, raised from tubers, yield on average 250 - 300 kilos of seed per hectare from the second year onwards. In South Africa the seed production of 'wild-type' plants is positively correlated with height of the plant, and is on average 258 seeds per plant for plants 60 - 65cm tall compared with about 30 seeds per plant for plants 30 - 40cm tall.

Spot Character:

Breech flower

Benefit:

Ornamental plant

Distribution:

Tropical Africa and Asia

Location:

Zone 1 of UPIBotanical Garden

flower of Gloriosa superba

(Hidayat T., 2017)

REFERENCE:

Hidayat, T. dan Abdurahman, E. (2017). Keanekaragaman Tumbuhan Biji di Kampus UPI Bandung. Bandung: UPI PRess
Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2019-11-17. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Gloriosa+superba>