Flame lily (Gloriosa superba) is a species of plant in the Colchicaceae, an annual shrub, grows to climb using leaf tip tendrils, fleshy stems up to 4 meters long, widely used as an ornamental plant due to its bright flower color and distinctive shape.
G. superba grows with gnarled rhizomes and climbs using leaf tendrils. Leaves alternate, lanceolate with outstretched tips, 13-20 cm long, thick, a bone in the center that forms a trench, smooth surface, flat margins and green in color.
Wavy flower tent, red top and greenish yellow base, has six corrugated tents and is 5-7.6 cm each. The fruit is capsule-shaped and fleshy, 6-12 cm long and contains red seeds. Butterflies and birds usually do pollination.
All parts of the plant contain colchicine where the leaves and tubers are about 0.1-0.8%, while the seeds are around 1.32%. Colchicine is a toxic and carcinogenic alkaloid compound that is soluble in water, alcohol and chloroform.
TAXON
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Liliales
Family: Colchicaceae
Genus: Gloriosa L. in Sp. Pl.: 305 (1753)
Species: Gloriosa superba L. in Sp. Pl.: 305 (1753)
HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS
Eugone superba (L.) Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 238 (1796)
Methonica superba (L.) Crantz in Inst. Rei Herb. 1: 474 (1766)
HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS
Gloriosa angulata Schumach. in Beskr. Guin. Pl.: 171 (1827)
Gloriosa cirrhifolia Stokes in Bot. Mat. Med. 2: 237 (1812)
Gloriosa doniana Schult. & Schult.f. in J.J.Roemer & J.A.Schultes, Syst. Veg., ed. 15[bis]. 7: 366 (1829)
Gloriosa lutea Mast. in Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 29: 413 (1901)
Gloriosa nepalensis G.Don in J.C.Loudon, Loudon's Hort. Brit.: 131 (1830)
Gloriosa rockefelleriana Stehlé & M.Stehlé in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 111: 284 (1965)
Gloriosa rothschildiana O'Brien in Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 33: 322 (1903)
Gloriosa superba f. angustifolia Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 3(3): 316 (1898)
Gloriosa superba var. angustifolia Baker in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 17: 458 (1879)
Gloriosa superba f. doniana (Schult. & Schult.f.) T.Durand & Schinz in Consp. Fl. Afric. 5: 417 (1894)
Gloriosa verschuurii Hoog in J. Roy. Hort. Soc. 75: 22 (1950)
Methonica doniana (Schult. & Schult.f.) Kunth in Enum. Pl. 4: 277 (1843)
Methonica gloriosa Salisb. in Trans. Hort. Soc. London 1: 331 (1812)
Methonica senegalensis Poit. in Rev. Hort. (Paris) 1: 263 (1830)
PUBLICATIONS
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Brunel, J.F., Hiepo, P. & Scholz, H. (eds.) (1984). Flore Analytique du Togo Phanérogames: 1-751. GTZ, Eschborn.
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Dassanayake (ed.) (2000). A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 14: 1-307. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. PVT. LTD., New Delhi, Calcutta.
Demissew, S. & Nordal, I. (2010). Aloes and other Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea, ed, 2: 1-351. Shama Books, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Edwards, S., Demissew, S. & Hedberg, I. (eds.) (1997). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 6: 1-586. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
Fischer, E., Rembold, K., Althof, A. & Obholzer, J. (2010). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Kakamega forest, Western province, Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 99: 129-226.
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Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1987). A Geographical Checklist of the Micronesian Monocotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 20: 19-129.
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Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Gosline, G., Bidault, E., van der Burgt, X., Cahen, D., Challen, G., Condé, N., Couch, C., Couvreur, T.L.P., Dagallier, L.M.J., Darbyshire, I., Dawson, S., Doré, T.S., Goyder, D., Grall, A., Haba, P., Haba, P., Harris, D., Hind, D.J.N., Jongkind, & al. (2023). A Taxonomically-verified and Vouchered Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea. Nature, scientific data 10, Article number: 327: [1]-[12].
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Kotiya, A., Solanki, Y. & Reddy, G.V. (2020). Flora of Rajasthan: 1-769. Rajasthan state biodiversity board.
Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590.
Lebrun, J.-P., Audru, J., Gaston, A. & Mosnier, M. (1972). Catalogue des Plantes Vasculaires du Tchad Méridional: 1-289. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
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Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo). Taxonomania. Revue de Taxonomie et de Nomenclature Botaniques 30: 1-307.
Maroyi, A. (2012). The genus Gloriosa (Colchicaceae) - ethnobotany, phylogeny and taxonomy: 1-194. Thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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Peyre de Fabregues, B. & Lebrun, J.-P. (1976). Catalogue des Plantes Vascularies du Niger: 1-433. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
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Robertson, S.A. (1989). Flowering Plants of Seychelles: 1-327. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
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VERNACULAR NAME
Afrikaans: Rooiboslelie, Geelboslelie, Geelvlamlelie, Vlamlelie
Bengali: বিশালাঙ্গুলি - উলটচণ্ডাল Bishalanguli, Ulatchandal
Borana: Add'aawa, Gaal waaqa, Hamo, Homa, Like, Ooma
Catalan: Lliri de Foc
Chinese (simplified): 嘉兰
Chinese (traditional): 嘉蘭 鐵線雞爪 - 嘉蘭百合
Chopi: Chicomane, Pembekushe
Czech: Glorióza vznešená
Danish: Klatrelilje
English: Flame lily, Tiger's Claws, Gloriosa Lily, Climbing Liliy, Climing lily, Dragon Flower, Glory Lily, Superb lily, Turk' S Cap, Turk's Fez, Wild Aconite, Yellow Flame Lily
English: Glory Lily, Gloriosa lily, Tiger claw, claw
Finnish: Keijunlilja
Fula: Djambel gak, Jamabere jire
German: Ruhmeskrone
Gujarati: Dudhio, Vacchonag
Hausa: Baurere, Gatarin kurege, Gudumar zomo, Gufumar zomo
Hehe: Mugobogobo, Vitisambili
Herero: Otjinatjo
Hindi: बचनग - कद्यनाग - करी हारी - लांगुली - उलटचांडल - करिहारी - लांगोली - कुल्हारी - कलियरी Bachnag, kadyanag, Kari hari, Languli, Ulatchandal, Karihari, Langoli, Kulhari, Kaliari
Hong Kong: 嘉蘭 鐵線雞爪
Igbo: Ugaele, Uguele
Indonesian: Kembang sungsang, Bunga sungsang
Japanese: ユリグルマ - 狐百合
Kannada: Agnisikhe, Agnishika, Shivashakti, Karadikanninagadde, Siva-raktaballi, Siva-saktiballi, Kozhikutuma, Kolikutuma, Indana kanda
Kikuyu: Gikwa-Kia-Nduru, Mburiru, Mburiu
Kwanyama: Ompilu
Maasai: Marau, Molok, Molong
Macao: 嘉蘭 鐵線雞爪
Malayalam: Kanthel, Kariyilanchi, Karthikapoovu, Malathamara, Menthonni, Ventoni
Malayalam: Kithonni, Mendoni
Marathi: Kalalavi, Kal-lavi, Kadya-nag, Indai, Khadyanag, Vaghachabaka
Ndebele: Amagugulume, Amakukhulume, Amakukulume, Iliqude, Inya-nkuku, Liqude, Magugulume, Makukulume, Unyawo-lwenkuku, Unyawu-lwenkuku
Ndonga: Ompilu
Nepali: केवारा - हरिताली फूल - लङ्गाली - अग्निशिखा Kewaaraa, Haritaali Phool, Langalee, Agnishikhaa
Ngoni: Kandahi
Oria: Ognisikha, Meheria phulo, Karihara, Dasara phulo, Durga phulo, Nanangalia
Oriya: Garbhhoghhatono, Meheriaphulo, Ognisikha, Panjangulia
Polish: Glorioza wspaniała
Portuguese: Lírio-de-chama, Gloriosa, Lírio-de-escalada, Lírio-rastejante, Lírio-da-glória
Russian: Глориоза роскошная
Sanskrit: Langali, Agnimukhi, Agnisikha, Ailni, Garbhaghatini, Kalikari, Langaliki, Hali
Setawana: Sehokgwe
Shambaa: Mbegebege
Shona: Kajongwe
Slovak: Glorióza pyšná
Spanish: Gloriosa
Sukuma: Tengaluangoko
Swahili: Mwana funzi, Mkalamu
Taiwan: 嘉蘭百合
Tamil: செங்கந்தல் - கல்லப்பை கிழங்கு - களப்பைகிழங்கு - கண்வலிக்கொடி Chenkantal, Kallappai kilangu, Kalappaikizhanngu, Kanvalikodi
Telugu: Nageti gadda, Adavi-nabhi, Kalappa gadda, Ganjeri, Pottidumpa, Agnisikha
Thai: ดองดึง
Thonga: Ashikolohwani
Tonga: Matalamanda, Nyamahlokane
Tswana: SeHokgwe, Nachwa
Urdu: کنول - کلہار Kanol, Kulhar
Zulu: Comfana, Hlamvu, Hlamvu comfananentombhazana, Ihlamvu, Ihlamvu lasolwandle, Ihlamvu-labafana, Ihlamvu-lamfana nentombazana, Ihlamvu-lomfana-nentombazana, IHlamvu lasolwandle, Isikhwali sasolwandle, Isikhwali, Isimiselo, Nentombhazana, Uhlamvu Iwabafana
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