I usually remove spent flowers on Gloriosas that I grow in containers for aesthetic reasons, but some escaped my manicuring a couple of seasons ago. I discovered my 'oversight' when I moved the containers into the garage for die back (part of my over-wintering procedure, part 2 is moving them into the basement where they're stored dry until the next spring). Upon discovery of some seedpods, I removed them and put them on my basement botanical work table. Subsequently they dried and split apart yielding a mass of round red berries. I rubbed the red coats off to find hard brownish seeds within.
While preparing plants to move outside last spring, on a lark, I put some seeds into a small pot of vermiculite and kept it moist. Days later I noted green shoots. I put the pot under fluorescent lights down there and let the seedlings grow. About mid-fall I ceased watering.
Yesterday I received a t-mail inquiring about Gloriosa seed and remembering my little experiment went down there and dumped the little pot out onto my workbench. To my delight I found the following:
Illustrates progress from seed to tuber.
Next step will be growing it this summer.
