Gloriosa superba
Gloriosa Superba - Photograph by MS Khan, Bhopal
Gloriosa superba derives its name Gloriosa from the word gloriosus, superba from the word superb. It means handsome and splendid or majestic kind. Gloriosa superba belongs to family Colchicaceae of the order Liliales. Genus is Gloriosa. It’s known by different names like Gloriosa lily, flame lily, fire lily, climbing lily in English. It is known as Agnimukhi in Sanskrit and kalihari or Kathari in Hindi. Gloriosa superba is also the national flower of Zimbabwe and state flower of Tamil Nadu in India. In Tamil its knows as Kallappai kilangu (கலப்பை கிழங்கு)
Basically a climber, the leaves of Gloriosa lily plant are elongated and the leaf tips are modified into tendrils that help in climbing. It is a tender tuberous rooted deciduous plant, a twining vine that can climb and coil to a support. The leaves are 2-3 inch, brightly green colored and long but wider in the middle. Its height ranges from 48 to 120 inches and requires proper sunlight and rich soil. Life Cycle of Gloriosa lily is half perennial or half annual. That means it cannot survive severe winter.
Flowers of Gloriosa lily are very attractive. They are large and generally orange-red colored. Petals are pale green in the bud that face downwards. Gradually, the color of petals changes from green to orange. It shows a lot of coloration adding yellow and red to it. The length of the flower is 3-5 inch.
Gloriosa lily is also a popular herb and a source of medicine. Different types of preparations of this plant are used in traditional medicine. Its used for the treatment of pimples and skin infections, bruises and sprains, leprosy etc. It is also known to be used against snake bites. The leaves are used as antiworm for cattle. Also the tuber contains an alkaloid called Colchicine that might be toxic but has a high commercial and research value. There is a postal stamp issued by the Postal Department of India for this flower.
For more information please visit the following link:
http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/glori.shtml
Gloriosa Superba - Photograph by MS Khan, Bhopal
By Parag Bakshi parag[at]bhopalbirds.com
