GLORY LILY Gloriosa superba
Liliaceae
San : Langali, Visalya, Agnishika,Shakrapushpi, Garbhaghatini Hin : Kalihari
Mal: Menthonni Tam: Akkinichilam Pan: Kariari
Guj: Dudhiya vachnag Kan: Nangulika Mar: Nagakaria
Ben: Bishalanguli Ori: Dangogahana Tel : Adavinabhi
Importance
Glory lily is a glabrous herbaceous climber which yields different types of troplone
alkaloids of medicinal importance. The major alkaloids are colchicine, 3-demethyl
colchicine and colchicoside. There is another alkaloid gloriosine which promises to be even
more effective than colchicine in plant breeding for inducing polyploidy. The genus has
importance in the ornamental horticulture due to its bright flowers and wiry climbing stem.
The roots and rhizomes are used in traditional system of medicine. Its abortifacient
and antipyretic properties have been mentioned in ancient classics “Charaka”. The name
Garbhaghatini is due to this abortifacient activity. They are useful in the treatment of
inflammations, ulcers, scrofula, hemorrhoids, pruritus, dyspepsia, helminthiasis, flatulence,
intermittent fevers and debility. The root is given internally as an effective antidote against
cobra poison. A paste of the root is also used as an anodyne; applications in bites of
poisonous insects, snake bites, scorpion sting, parasitic skin diseases and leprosy
(Nadkarni,1954; Chaudhuri and Thakur; 1994).
Distribution
The plant is distributed throughout tropical India upto an altitude of 2500m and in
Andaman islands. It is also cultivated in tropical and South Africa, Madagaskar, Indonesia
and Malasia. It is reported to be cultivated in some parts of Europe. In India it was cultivated
in RRL, Jammu in 1960s. Recently it was taken up by Indian Council of Agricultural
Research(ICAR). Cultivation of the plant is mostly confined to the Southern states of India
besides its collection from wild sources.
Botany
Gloriosa superba Linn. belongs to Liliaceae family. It is a glabrous climbing herb
with tuberous root stock grows over hedges and small trees. Stem is 6m long which grows
to a height of 1.2-1.5m before the stem branches. Leaves are simple, alternate or whorled,
sessile, ovate-lanceolate, 17x4.5cm, tip elongating into a spirally coiled tendril, base
cordate and margin entire. Flowers are large in terminal racemes; perianth segments 6, linear,
flexuosus and deflexed, basal half bright yellow, upper half red; stamens 6; ovary glabrous,
3 - celled. Fruits are capsules, linear-oblong, upto 6.8cm long, 3 equal lobes, one or two lobes
shorter in malformed fruits; green dried to pale and then black colour, dehisced into three
sections. Seeds are oval in shape, testa spongy, embryo cylindric, 30-150 seeds per capsule,
pale orange attached to the sutures. Tubers are cylindric, large, simple, ‘V’ shaped with the
two limps equal or unequal in lenth pointed towards end
brownish externally and yellowish internally. (Narain, 1977)