Glory Lily

Names and Synonyms

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

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• 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

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

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.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (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.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Gloriosa superba is characterized by its adaptability to diverse environmental settings, commonly thriving in forest edges, thickets, woodland, short grassland, and cultivated land. This species exhibits a broad altitudinal distribution, occurring across a wide vertical gradient that begins at sea level with a minimum elevation of 5 m AMSL and reaches a maximum of 1830 m AMSL. While its presence is noted throughout this span, the species maintains a significant elevational presence with a mean altitude of 2600 m AMSL, reflecting its ability to colonize various ecological niches from lowland disturbed areas to more varied terrain.

Elevational range max:

1830 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

2600 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

5 m AMSL

Habitat :

forest edges, thickets, woodland, short grassland, cultivated land

Life history

The life history of Gloriosa superba is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. It functions as a cryptophyte, relying on protected underground structures to survive unfavorable environmental conditions. Specifically, its life form is classified as a geophyte, meaning it completes its life cycle using specialized storage organs, such as tubers, located beneath the soil surface to endure periods of dormancy.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Gloriosa superba is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. It functions as an obligatory climber, though it can exhibit self-supporting tendencies in certain contexts. The plant is strictly terrestrial in its habitat, neither aquatic nor epiphytic. In terms of physical stature, it exhibits significant variability in size, with plant heights ranging from a minimum of 0.25 m to a maximum of 2.43 m, resulting in an average height of approximately 1.47 m. Furthermore, the species is an independent organism, showing no parasitic behavior.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2.43 m

Plant height mean:

1.46666666666667 m

Plant height min:

0.25 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Gloriosa superba is characterized by its specific metabolic and morphological adaptations. The plant utilizes a C3 photosynthetic pathway to convert light energy into chemical energy, a mechanism typical of many climbing herbaceous perennials. Its vegetative structure is supported by leaves that exhibit significant morphological variation, with individual leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 6 cm to a maximum of 20 cm. The width of these leaves is similarly variable, spanning from a minimum of 1.5 cm to a maximum of 4 cm. Furthermore, from a nutritional standpoint, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on the availability of nitrogen within the soil rather than through symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Leaf length max:

20 cm

Leaf length min:

6 cm

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width min:

1.5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Gloriosa superba is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, primarily involving birds as key pollinators. The flowering period for this species typically occurs around August, though the timing can be variable. The plant is capable of self-fertilization, which ensures reproductive success under various environmental conditions. Once pollination is successful, the plant develops a capsule as its fruit type. This fruit is dehiscent, meaning it opens at maturity to release its contents. The dispersal syndrome of the plant is classified as autochorous, utilizing an autochorous mechanism to spread its seeds.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

autochorous

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit type :

capsule

Pollination syndrome :

bird

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Gloriosa superba has 4 reported plant parts identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, flower, root, seed.

Leaf

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Parasitology research

Flower

1. Experimental parasitology

Root

1. PloS one

Seed

1. Natural product letters

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.

colchicine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Fitoterapia
3. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
4. Plant disease
5. Journal of the American Chemical Society

Gloriosine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Fitoterapia

Lumicolchicine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Fitoterapia

2-Demethylcolchicine

1. Dr. Duke

3-Demethylcolchicine

1. Fitoterapia

3-Desmethylcolchicine

1. Dr. Duke

6-methoxy-salicylic acid

1. Dr. Duke

CHLOROFORM

1. Veterinary parasitology

CHRYSOPHANIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke

Colchicoside

1. 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.

Absorbent

1. Dr. Duke

Acetylcholinergic

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Allergenic

1. Dr. Duke

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke

Anesthetic

1. Dr. Duke

AntiBehcet's

1. Dr. Duke

AntiHIV

1. Dr. Duke

AntiPaget's

1. Dr. Duke

Antialzheimeran

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Gloriosa superba has 24 reported investigations on conditions identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include gout, arthritis, rheumatism, Breast Cancer, Leishmania donovani.

Gout

1. Fitoterapia
2. BMC plant biology
3. World journal of microbiology & biotechnology
4. Journal of AOAC International
5. Planta

Arthritis

1. Fitoterapia
2. Immunological investigations
3. World journal of microbiology & biotechnology

Rheumatism

1. Fitoterapia
2. BMC plant biology

Breast cancer

1. Bioinorganic chemistry and applications

Leishmania donovani

1. Experimental parasitology

Plasmodium falciparum

1. Parasitology research

Cancer

1. World journal of microbiology & biotechnology

Cancers

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cervical cancer

1. Cytotechnology

Colon cancer

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Gloriosa superba has 9 reported preparations identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Root water extracts, alcoholic extracts, ethanol leaf extract of Gloriosa superba, flower, methanol-water fraction.

Root water extracts

1. PloS one

Alcoholic extracts

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Ethanol leaf extract of gloriosa superba

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Flower

1. Experimental parasitology

Methanol-water fraction

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Methanolic extracts (mes)

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Partially purified fractions

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Plant extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Tuber extract

1. Bioinorganic chemistry and applications