I was thrilled to discover this wonderful Gloriosa superba in bloom in Pulau Ubin - a small island off the coast of Singapore...
The last time I saw one growing in the wild was in the Yala National Park in Sri Lanka!
The plant has such an array of mystical and medicinal properties - and I know was also used to poison enemies in the heady days of pre-Raj era Sri Lanka...
What a wonderful name: literally meaning 'handsome' and 'superb'... What a nice way to start off the year...