I have grown some Gloriosa Lilies [Gloriosa rothschildiana] from seed. Last year, after a few sidetracks along the way, they finally got big enough to bloom. It was short-lived. Something apparently attacked them, with the result there was a dead section about 12-15" up the stem. Since they don't grow secondary stems/branches from dormant buds at the base of the leaves as in most other stem plants, the lily is then essentially dead (until a new sprout eventually comes from the tuber).

The same thing occurred this year. The lily stalks were more robust, and the flowering heads larger than last year, but once again, as soon as a couple stalks started blooming, the dead sections appeared.




Eventually every stalk over 18" had the dead spot. The first pic above shows a small speck like the stem had been stung or otherwise invaded, but in person it did not look like anything. I have never seen an obvious cause of the damage on any stem.

Anyone else ever had this problem?

Let's call up @jmorth, our gloriosa expert.

cylindrocarpon. A fungi type plant pathogen that affects stems in this manner. A stem disease. I don't know a remedy or cure.

Thanks for your reply Lorn.

I couldn't find anything on the internet showing stem damage by Cylindrocarpon looks to see if it seems to match what I see in person. But I don't have much experience with lilies. Is this something known particularly in lilies, or am I just particularly lucky to have it?

Any idea why it would attack mid-stem rather than roots or ground-level?

This particular type of cylindrocarpon can affect many different herbaceous type plants, usually around the mid stem area so it's not unique to lilies alone. With lilies, it is less common. There are many types of cylindrocarpons and I do not know exactly which this one this is so I can't recommend a remedy--someone else may know. Other cylindrocarpons do affect lilies underground and cause root rot and basil plate rot. Those can be commonly treated with a Captan powder or a good copper base powdered fungicide worked into the soil. Spraying an infected plant with a solution of either of these most likely will not work because the infection is inside the stem .

Bums me out, though. I'll keep looking. Hope to find a way to prevent it. Maybe nutrition? This group is in pretty good soil (for south Florida), but maybe if I fertilize the plants will be more robust and less susceptible?

Worth a shot. Problem is, with all the rain we've been getting lately (ranging from 1-3" daily), fertilizing is fairly ineffective. But as the rainy season slows down...