Glorisa   Superba

Gloriosa   superba   is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. English language common names include flame lily, climbing lily, creeping lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily, tiger claw, and fire lily. Names in other languages include kalihari (Hindi), agni shikha  or potti  naabhi (Telugu), kaanthal (Tamil), menthonni (Malayalam), kal-lavi (Marathi)', 'ulotchondal (Bengali), lis de Malabar (French), aranha de emposse (Portuguese), bandera  española  (Spanish), mkalamu (Swahili), klänglilja (Swedish), riri (Māori), and jia lan (Chinese). It is native to much of Africa and Asia, but it is known worldwide as an ornamental plant, a medicine, a poison , and a noxious weed.

Kingdom:             Plantae

(unranked):        Angiosperms

(unranked):        Monocots

Order:   Liliales

Family:  Colchicaceae

Genus: Gloriosa

Species:               G. superba

Biology

This species is a perennial herb growing from a fleshy rhizome. It is scandent, climbing using tendrils, the stem reaching 4 meters long. The leaves are mainly alternately arranged, but they may be opposite, as well. They are somewhat lance-shaped and tipped with tendrils, and they are up 13 to 20 centimeters long. The showy flower has six tepals each up to 5 to 7.6 centimeters long. They are generally bright red to orange at maturity, sometimes with yellowish bases. The margins may be quite wavy. The six stamens also are long, up to 4 centimeters, and each bears a large anther at the tip that drops large amounts of yellow pollen. The style may be more than 6 centimeters long. One flower may weigh over 2.5 grams. The fruit is a fleshy capsule up to 6 to 12 centimeters long containing red seeds. Cultivars of this popular garden plant may vary from these wild-type characteristics; the cultivar 'Lutea' has all-yellow tepals, 'Citrina' is yellow with red markings, and 'Nana' is a dwarf. Whitish forms are known, as well.

The plant likely is pollinated by butterflies and sunbirds. It grows in many types of habitat, including tropical jungles, forests, thickets, woodlands, grasslands, and sand dunes. It can grow in nutrient-poor soils. It can be found at as high as 2500 meters in elevation.

Toxicity

This plant is poisonous, toxic enough to cause human and animal fatalities if ingested. It has been used to commit murder, to achieve suicide, and to kill animals. Every part of the plant is poisonous, especially the tuberous rhizomes. As with other members of the Colchicaceae, this plant contains high levels of colchicine, a toxic alkaloid. It also contains the alkaloid gloriocine. Within a few hours of the ingestion of a toxic amount of plant material, a victim may experience nausea, vomiting, numbness, and tingling around the mouth, burning in the throat, abdominal pain, and bloody diarrhea, which leads to dehydration. As the toxic syndrome progresses, rhabdomyolysis, ileus, respiratory depression, hypotension, coagulopathy, haematuria, altered mental status, seizures, coma, and ascending polyneuropathy may occur. Longer-term effects include peeling of the skin and prolonged vaginal bleeding in women. Colchicine is known to cause alopecia. One case report described a patient who accidentally ate the tubers and then experienced hair loss over her entire body, including complete baldness. Poisonings can occur when the tubers are mistaken for sweet potatoes or yams and eaten. The plant can be dangerous for cats, dogs, horses, and livestock, as well.

BY: Manjeela Maharjan