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botanical illustration of Glory Lily, Gloriosa superba

botanical record · discovered

Glory Lily

Gloriosa superba

Glory Lily · Climbing Liliy · Climing lily · Dragon Flower · Flame Lily · Flame lily · Geelboslelie · Geelvlamlelie · Gikwa-Kia-Nduru · Glorieuse superbe · Gloriosa Lily · Hlamvu comfananentombhazana · Kembang Sungsang · Klimlelie · Lile veʻemoa · Lliri de Foc · Lírio-da-glória · Lírio-de-chama · Lírio-de-escalada

At a glance

Origin / distribution: India, Sanscrit, Thailand, Malaysia, Hindu, India(Santal), Africa, English

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Abortifacient, Bile, Bite(Snake), Cancer

Science studied: CHOLINE, DEMETHYLCOLCHICINE, 2-DEMETHYLCOLCHICINE, 3-DESMETHYLCOLCHICINE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Liliaceae

Scientific name: Gloriosa superba

Common names: Glory Lily, Climbing Liliy, Climing lily, Dragon Flower, Flame Lily, Flame lily, Geelboslelie, Geelvlamlelie, Gikwa-Kia-Nduru, Glorieuse superbe, Gloriosa Lily, Hlamvu comfananentombhazana, Kembang Sungsang, Klimlelie, Lile veʻemoa, Lliri de Foc, Lírio-da-glória, Lírio-de-chama, Lírio-de-escalada

POWO: 535953-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in India, Sanscrit, Thailand, Malaysia, Hindu, India(Santal), Africa, English and 5 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

  • Abortifacient
  • Bile
  • Bite(Snake)
  • Cancer
  • Canicide
  • Colic
  • Erysipelas
  • Gonorrhea
show 28 more documented entries
  • Homicide
  • Labor
  • Malaria
  • Mitogen
  • Neuralgia
  • Parasite
  • Parturition
  • Pediculicide
  • Piles
  • Poison
  • Scabies
  • Skin
  • Sore
  • Splenitis
  • Stomachic
  • Suicide
  • Tonic
  • Tumor
  • Vermifuge
  • Vermifuge(Veterinary)
  • Bactericide
  • Anodyne
  • Syphilis
  • Alterative
  • Laxative
  • Leprosy
  • Parasiticide
  • Cholagogue

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

  • India
  • Sanscrit
  • Thailand
  • Malaysia
  • Hindu
  • India(Santal)
  • Africa
  • English
  • Iran
  • French
  • Italian
  • Spanish
show 1 more documented entries
  • German

Documented cultural uses

  • Abortifacient
  • Bile
  • Bite(Snake)
  • Cancer
  • Canicide
  • Colic
  • Erysipelas
  • Gonorrhea
  • Homicide
  • Labor
  • Malaria
  • Mitogen
show 24 more documented entries
  • Neuralgia
  • Parasite
  • Parturition
  • Pediculicide
  • Piles
  • Poison
  • Scabies
  • Skin
  • Sore
  • Splenitis
  • Stomachic
  • Suicide
  • Tonic
  • Tumor
  • Vermifuge
  • Vermifuge(Veterinary)
  • Bactericide
  • Anodyne
  • Syphilis
  • Alterative
  • Laxative
  • Leprosy
  • Parasiticide
  • Cholagogue

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

  • Abortifacient · India · "
  • Bile · Sanscrit · "
  • Bite(Snake) · India · "
  • Cancer · Thailand · "
  • Canicide · Malaysia · "
  • Colic · Hindu · "
  • Erysipelas · India(Santal) · "
  • Gonorrhea · India · "
  • Homicide · Africa · "
  • Labor · India · "
  • Labor · India(Santal) · "
  • Malaria · English · "
  • Mitogen · India · "
  • Neuralgia · India · "
  • Parasite · Hindu · "
  • Parturition · India(Santal) · "
  • Pediculicide · India · "
  • Piles · India · "
  • Poison · India · "
  • Scabies · India(Santal) · "
  • Skin · India · "
  • Sore · India · "
  • Sore · India(Santal) · "
  • Splenitis · India(Santal) · "

19 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

  • Multi-Omics Analysis Provides Insights into Developmental Tepal Coloration in <i>Gloriosa superba</i> 'Passion Flame'. · 2026 source ↗
  • Biotechnological Potential of Endophytic Fungi Isolated From the Endangered Medicinal Plant Gloriosa superba. · 2025 source ↗
  • &lt;i&gt;Gloriosa superba&lt;/i&gt; Poisoning-induced Anagen Effluvium. · 2025 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

  • CHOLINE
  • DEMETHYLCOLCHICINE
  • 2-DEMETHYLCOLCHICINE
  • 3-DESMETHYLCOLCHICINE
  • O-DESMETHYL-N-FORMYL-DESACETYL-BETA-LUMICOLCHICINE
  • O-DESMETHYLLUMICOLCHICINE
  • N-FORMYL-DESACETYL-BETA-LUMICOLCHICINE
  • N-FORMYL-DESACETYL-GAMMA-LUMICOLCHICINE
  • GLORIOSINE
  • GLUCOSE
  • LUMICOLCHICINE
  • 6-METHOXY-SALICYLIC-ACID
  • PHYTOSTEROLS
  • GAMMA-RESORCYLIC-ACID-MONOMETHYL-ETHER
  • SITOSTEROL
  • STIGMASTEROL
show 9 more documented entries
  • STARCH
  • CHRYSOPHANIC-ACID
  • BENZOIC-ACID
  • COLCHICINE
  • 2-DEMETHYLLUMICOLCHICINE
  • N-FORMYL-DESACETYLCOLCHICINE
  • GLORIOSOL
  • BETA-LUMICOLCHICONE
  • SALICYLIC-ACID

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Gloriosa superba
Gloriosa superba · Vaikoovery

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

show claim source mapping
  • identity · DH-SRC-0030
  • documented_uses · DH-SRC-0030
  • compounds · DH-SRC-0030
  • taxonomy · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • common_names · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • countries · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • wfo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0003 · source ↗
  • cultural_records · DH-SRC-0030 · source ↗
  • powo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0001 · source ↗
  • wcvp_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0002 · source ↗

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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