Gloriosa

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Gloriosa

Description

Climbing, or less often erect, glabrous herbs. Leaves cauline, alternate, opposite or in whorls of 3 (4), flat, with many veins and a strong midrib, sessile, entire, lanceolate to ovate, slightly amplexicaul, obtuse at the base, narrowing gradually to an apical, coiled tendril (sometimes lacking tendrils in erect forms); Ovary superior, sessile, oblong-ovoid to oblong-obovoid, 3-celled, 1 cell slightly shorter than the other 2; Capsule coriaceous, septicidal;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: India present, Burma present, Madagascar present, SE. Asia present, Tropical and southern Africa present, West Malesia present
Widespread in tropical and southern Africa, Madagascar, India, Burma and SE. Asia, as far as West Malesia.

Notes

Stated by Field (1971, 1972) to be monotypic. In Malesia only a single indigenous species has ever been recognized, although other species have been described elsewhere.

Citation

Hutch. 1959 – In: Fam. Fl. Pl., ed. 2: 606
Field 1971 – In: Kew Bull.: 243
Linne 1754: Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 144
Baker 1879 – In: J. Linn. Soc. Bot.: 457
Krause 1930 – In: E. & P., Nat. Pfl. Fam., ed. 2, 15a: 266
Linne 1972 – In: Lilies and other Liliaceae: 93