The L-shaped tubers are extremely poisonous, containing the powerful alkaloids colchicine and gloriosine. Accidental death due to ingestion has occurred in Third World countries where some people have mistaken them for the edible sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas. Some authors claim all parts of the plant are poisonous http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consu... while others only implicate the tubers. Common sense dictates the wearing of gloves when handling tubers.
The Botanical Dermatology Database http://BoDD.cf.ac.uk/BotDermFolder/BotDe... cites their use in criminal poisoning. One study stated that nibbling on the tubers produced numbness of the lips and tongue (See Hardin and Arena, 1974), and in one case it was reported that an individual who ate a piece of the tuber suffered generalized alopecia (loss of body hair).
In its native India, Gloriosa superba has become endangered due to overcollection of the tubers, which are an ingredient in the Ayurveda treatment of gout. Several Indian companies export the marble-like seeds as medicinals.
Propagation is by division of the tubers or from seed.
Gloriosa bulbs should be divided every third year. Gently tease apart the delicate tubers, making certain each division contains several axillary buds, or "eyes" (think potatoes). I prefer to do this in early spring, just before new growth begins, when the eyes are easiest to spot.
Future growth cannot occur without the presence of these growing points. It is here, and only here, that the tuber is capable of creating adventitious stems and roots. Eyeless tubers are worthless as propagation organs and should be discarded. Without eyes, the tuber is simply a storage organ for food. If your glory lily has not shown growth 2 weeks after being planted, this may be the reason.
Diligence and patience are required when growing climbing lilies from seed. Soak the seeds overnight in warm water, then plant in a well-drained medium. Germination is erratic and may occur anytime from three weeks to three months. Seedlings grow rapidly and most will produce tubers by their second year. However, expect a four-year wait for flowers.
For outdoor cultivation in the South, try Gloriosa superba and its cultivars or the dwarf-like G. simplex, which has orange-yellow flowers with green striations. 'Lutea,' an all yellow cultivar, is sometimes available, but I have found it to be more delicate than its kin and more exacting in its cultivation.
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