Glory Lily
Gloriosa superba · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (208 studies) · ★★★★★
Glory Lily, scientifically known as Gloriosa superbba, is a striking climbing plant renowned for its vibrant, flame-like petals. Native to tropical regions, it contains potent alkaloids like colchicine. While highly valued in traditional medicine for treating various ailments, its extreme toxicity requires careful handling and precise medicinal application.
Names
Common Names
- Flame Lily
- climbing-lily
- creeping-lily
- flame-lily
- glory-lily
- Climbing Liliy
- Climing lily
- Dragon Flower
- Gloriosa Lily
- Glory Lily
- Superb lily
- Tiger's Claws
- Turk' S Cap
- Turk's Fez
- Wild Aconite
- Yellow Flame Lily
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Methonica superba
- Eugone superba
- Gloriosa simplex
- Gloriosa caerulea
- Gloriosa cirrhifolia
- Methonica gloriosa
- Gloriosa virescens
- Gloriosa angulata
- Gloriosa doniana
- Gloriosa nepalensis
- Methonica doniana
- Methonica virescens
- Clinostylis speciosa
- Methonica leopoldii
- Gloriosa abyssinica
- Methonica abyssinic
- Methonica plantii
- Gloriosa plantii
- Methonica grandiflora
- Methonica petersiana
- Methonica platyphylla
- Gloriosa virescens var. grandiflora
- Gloriosa speciosa
- Gloriosa virescens var. leopoldii
- Gloriosa virescens var. petersiana
- Gloriosa virescens var. plantii
- Gloriosa virescens var. platyphylla
- Gloriosa carsonii
- Gloriosa leopoldii
- Gloriosa lutea
- Gloriosa rothschildiana
- Gloriosa grandiflora
- Gloriosa homblei
- Gloriosa graminifolia var. heterophylla
- Gloriosa sampiana
- Gloriosa verschuurii
- Gloriosa rockefelleriana
- Gloriosa graminifolia var heterophylla
- Gloriosa virescens var grandiflora
- Gloriosa virescens var leopoldii
- Gloriosa virescens var petersiana
- Gloriosa virescens var plantii
- Gloriosa virescens var platyphylla
- Bandera española
- Lirio de fuego
German:
- Ruhmesblume
- Gloriosa rothschildiana
- Ruhmeskrone
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Gloriosa superbaSynonyms
- Methonica doniana
- Methonica superba
- Eugone superba
- Methonica senegalensis
- Methonica gloriosa
- Gloriosa superba f. doniana
- Gloriosa angulata
- Gloriosa cirrhifolia
- Gloriosa doniana
- Gloriosa rockefelleriana
- Gloriosa rothschildiana
- Gloriosa nepalensis
- Gloriosa lutea
- Gloriosa superba var. angustifolia
- Gloriosa verschuurii
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Liliales, it is classified under the family Colchicaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Gloriosa.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Liliales | WCVP |
| Family | Colchicaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Gloriosa | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution concentrated within the West Tropical Africa region. Within this area, it can be found growing in the territory of Benin. Its presence is also documented across the borders of Burkina and Ghana. Additionally, the species extends its range into Guinea-Bissau. Finally, the plant is known to inhabit the landscape of Guinea.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Liberia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Sierra Leone | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Gloriosa superba, is a climbing perennial characterized by a complex structure where various vegetative parts contribute to its survival and medicinal potency. The most significant organ for storage and regrowth is the underground tuber, which serves as a reservoir for bioactive alkaloids. Its climbing habit is supported by specialized tendrils at the tips of the leaf lobes, which allow the plant to ascend surrounding vegetation. Within these structures, specialized plant tissues, such as the vascular bundles and parenchymatous cells, facilitate the transport and synthesis of its medicinal compounds. Furthermore, the reproductive cycle is completed through the production of seeds, which are dispersed to ensure the continued propagation of the species.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flower | Experimental parasitology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | PloS one (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed | Natural product letters (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Gloriosa superba has 26 reported phytochemicals identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include colchicine, Gloriosine, Lumicolchicine, 2-Demethylcolchicine, 3-Demethylcolchicine.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| colchicine | 10 supporting sources | ★★★★★ |
| Gloriosine | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Lumicolchicine | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2-Demethylcolchicine | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 3-Demethylcolchicine | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 3-Desmethylcolchicine | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 6-methoxy-salicylic acid | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CHLOROFORM | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CHRYSOPHANIC ACID | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Colchicoside | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
colchicine
- Dr. Duke
- Fitoterapia
- Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Plant disease
- Journal of the American Chemical Society
View 5 additional sources
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
- World journal of microbiology & biotechnology
- Journal of AOAC International
- Medicine, science, and the law
- Planta
Gloriosine
- Dr. Duke
- Fitoterapia
Lumicolchicine
- Dr. Duke
- Fitoterapia
2-Demethylcolchicine
- Dr. Duke
3-Demethylcolchicine
- Fitoterapia
3-Desmethylcolchicine
- Dr. Duke
6-methoxy-salicylic acid
- Dr. Duke
CHLOROFORM
- Veterinary parasitology
CHRYSOPHANIC ACID
- Dr. Duke
Colchicoside
- Fitoterapia
Activities
Gloriosa superba has 124 reported activities identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Absorbent, Acetylcholinergic, Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor, Allergenic, Analgesic.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Absorbent | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Acetylcholinergic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Allergenic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anesthetic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AntiBehcet's | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AntiHIV | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AntiPaget's | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antialzheimeran | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Gloriosa superba has 24 reported medicinal uses identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include gout, arthritis, rheumatism, Breast Cancer, Leishmania donovani.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| gout | Fitoterapia (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| arthritis | Fitoterapia (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| rheumatism | Fitoterapia (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Breast Cancer | Bioinorganic chemistry and applications (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Leishmania donovani | Experimental parasitology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Plasmodium falciparum | Parasitology research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | World journal of microbiology & biotechnology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancers | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cervical cancer | Cytotechnology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| colon cancer | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Root water extracts | PloS one (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| alcoholic extracts | Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ethanol leaf extract of Gloriosa superba | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flower | Experimental parasitology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol-water fraction | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanolic extracts (MEs) | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| partially purified fractions | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| plant extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tuber extract | Bioinorganic chemistry and applications (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |