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  1. Family: Colchicaceae DC.
    1. Genus: Gloriosa L.

      1. Gloriosa superba L.

        Flame lily is a tuberous herb, which is widespread in tropical and southern Africa and in tropical Asia. The generic name Gloriosa means ‘full of glory’ and the specific epithet superba means ‘superb’, alluding to the striking red and yellow flowers.

    [KSP]

    Kew Species Profiles

    General Description
    Flame lily is a climber with spectacular red and yellow flowers, but all parts of the plant (especially the tubers) are extremely poisonous and can be fatal if eaten.

    Flame lily is a tuberous herb, which is widespread in tropical and southern Africa and in tropical Asia. The generic name Gloriosa means ‘full of glory’ and the specific epithet superba means ‘superb’, alluding to the striking red and yellow flowers.

    All parts of the plant, but especially the tubers (swollen, underground stems), are extremely poisonous and the ingestion of flame lily has caused many accidental deaths. It has also been used to commit murder, suicide, to induce abortions and to poison dogs. African porcupines and some moles are reputed to be able to consume the roots with no ill effects.

    Species Profile

    Geography and distribution

    Native to tropical and southern Africa, and temperate and tropical Asia (where it occurs in China, Indochina and from the Indian Subcontinent to the Lesser Sunda Islands). It has been found up to 2,500 m above sea level. It is widely naturalised (including in Europe and Australia) and is listed as a weed in Australia and in some parts of the USA. Gloriosa superbais common throughout much of its range. However, in some areas of India (Patalkot, Chhindwara District), Bangladesh and Sri Lanka it has been assessed as rare, and natural populations are believed to be in decline. In the Indian state of Orissa, for example, where G. superba used to be common, it is now on the verge of extinction according to the Wildlife Institute of India.

    Description

    A perennial, tuberous, climbing (sometimes erect) herb, up to 4 m long. The leaves are simple (undivided). The leaf blade has strong, parallel nerves and ends in a tendril-like spiral. The solitary flowers are bisexual, showy, pendulous and 4.5–7 cm in diameter. The pedicel (flower stalk) can be up to 20 cm long. The flowers are usually red and yellow with crisply waved margins. The fruit is a large (up to 6 cm long), oblong capsule. It is thought that pollination is probably carried out by butterflies and sunbirds.

    Threats and conservation

    Flame lily is in decline in some areas of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and southern Africa, due to over-collection of the seeds and tubers. Although commercially cultivated in southern India, it is estimated that pharmacies and drug manufacturers in India fulfil up to 75% of their raw material demand from wild populations.

    Conservation assessments carried out by Kew

    Gloriosa superbais being monitored as part of the Sampled Red List Index Project, which aims to produce conservation assessments for a representative sample of the world’s plant species. This information will then be used to monitor trends in extinction risk and help focus conservation efforts where they are needed most.

    Learn more about this project

    Uses

    Flame lily has a wide variety of uses, especially within traditional medicine as practised in tropical Africa and Asia (including Ayurvedic medicine in India). It contains the alkaloid colchicine, which has been used effectively to treat acute gout, intestinal worms, infertility, wounds and other skin problems. It has also been used as an antidote for snake bite, as a laxative, and to induce abortion. It has proven useful in the treatment of chronic ulcers, arthritis, cholera, colic, kidney problems and typhus.

    Colchicine is widely used as an experimental tool in the study of cell division, as it can inhibit mitosis (a type of cell division), induce polyploidy (cells containing more than two sets of chromosomes), and has been used in the treatment of cancer.

    Gloriosa superbais widely cultivated as an ornamental for its stunning flowers. It is the national flower of Zimbabwe (where it is protected from illegal harvesting under the Parks and Wildlife Act).

    This species at Kew

    Flame lily can be seen growing in the Temperate House, Palm House and Waterlily House at Kew.

    Dried and alcohol-preserved specimens of Gloriosa superba are held in Kew’s Herbarium, where they are available to researchers from around the world, by appointment. The details of some of these, including images, can be seen online in the Herbarium Catalogue.

    View details and images of specimens

    Specimens of flame lily tubers are also held in Kew’s Economic Botany Collection, where they are available for study, by appointment.

    Distribution
    China
    Ecology
    Sparse savanna woodlands, grasslands, sand dunes, in abandoned fields or at the boundaries of cultivated ground and roadsides; in sandy-loam soil.
    Conservation
    Least Concern according to IUCN Red List criteria.
    Hazards

    All parts of the plant are extremely poisonous due to the presence of toxic alkaloids, including colchicine; ingestion can be fatal; contact can result in skin irritation.

    [FTEA]

    Colchicaceae, Kim Hoenselaar. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

    Habit
    Herb, stem erect, simple or branched, sometimes not higher than 40 cm, or plant scandent or climbing, up to several meters long.
    Leaves
    Leaves alternate, sometimes opposite or verticillate and clustered, sometimes clustered above the middle of the stem, sessile, base sometimes sheathing the stem, ranging from linear, elliptic-lanceolate, elliptic to ovate, 6–17.5 cm long, 0.4–5 cm wide, apex acute, acuminate, falcate or ending in a tendril.
    Flowers
    Flowers solitary, axillary, sometimes terminal, different shades of yellow, orange, red, crimson, purple/mauve stripes or fading purple, often bicolored; pedicel erect, recurved apically, 3.5–18 cm long.
    Perianth
    Perianth sometimes at the base connate into a short tube, up to 2 mm long; perianth segments (strongly) reflexed, base clawed, narrowly elliptic-linear, oblong-lanceolate, sometimes ovate to obovate, 29–85 mm long, 4–25(–38) mm wide, the margins sometimes crisped,apex acuminate to acute, sometimes falcate.
    Stamens
    Filaments filiform, sometimes flattened, 10–45 mm long; anthers straight to curved, 5.5–15 mm long.
    Pistil
    Ovary 4–13 mm long, 1–5 mm wide; style 9–50 mm long.
    Fruits
    Capsule 37–50 mm long, 10–14 mm in diameter; seeds 4 mm.
    [FWTA]

    Liliaceae, F. N. Hepper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:1. 1968

    Habit
    Common forest climber
    Flowers
    Flowers turning from yellow to red.
    [KSP]
    Use
    Medicinal, ornamental.

    Images

    Distribution

    Found In:

    Andaman Is., Angola, Assam, Bangladesh, Benin, Borneo, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cabinda, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Central African Repu, Chad, China South-Central, Congo, East Himalaya, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., India, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Kenya, Laccadive Is., Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Maldives, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

    Introduced Into:

    Cook Is., Fiji, Gilbert Is., Line Is., Nauru, New South Wales, Norfolk Is., Queensland, Réunion, Santa Cruz Is., Society Is., Solomon Is., Suriname, Tokelau-Manihiki, Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Is.

    Common Names
    English
    Climbing lily, Flame lily, Superb lily

    Gloriosa superba L. appears in other Kew resources:

    Date Identified Reference Herbarium Specimen Type Status
    Jul 1, 2007 Tchiengue, B. [2772], Cameroon K000518671
    Dec 1, 2003 Etuge, M. [4359 r], Cameroon K000212735
    Mar 1, 2002 Etuge, M. [1749], Cameroon K000025718
    Mar 1, 2002 Etuge, M. [2189], Cameroon K000025720
    May 1, 1995 Cable, S. [10], Cameroon K000011652
    Jan 1, 1995 Ndam, N. [184], Cameroon K000542353
    Jan 1, 1995 Cheek, M. [5706], Cameroon K000011653
    Jan 1, 1995 Cheek, M. [5721], Cameroon K000011654
    Jan 1, 1994 Mooney, H.F. [8815], Ethiopia K000480416
    Jan 1, 1994 Amshoff, G.J.H. [7614], Ethiopia K000480417
    Jan 1, 1994 Quartin-Dillon [48], Ethiopia K000365965 isosyntype
    Jan 1, 1994 Schimper [1437], Ethiopia K000365966 isotype
    Jan 1, 1994 Schimper [1437], Ethiopia K000365967 isotype
    Jan 1, 1994 Turton, D. [76], Ethiopia K000480413
    Feb 3, 1924 Wight, R. [5757], Nepal K000524985
    Gilbert, M.G. [4657], Ethiopia K000480418
    Pollard, B.J. [103], Cameroon K000025719
    Kasmi, S.M.A. [643], Somalia K000480419
    Synnott, T.J. [449], Somalia K000480420
    Alstrup, V. [156], Somalia K000480422
    Eagleton, G. [71], Somalia K000480423
    Thollon, M. [22], Gabon K000480430
    s.coll. [Cat. no. 5157] K001104967
    Pobéguin, C.H.O. [383], Guinea K000480434
    s.coll. [Cat. no. 5157] K001104968
    Pobéguin, C.H.O. [383], Guinea K000480435
    s.coll. [Cat. no. 5157] K001104969
    Haswell, D.R. [134], Sierra Leone K000480436
    s.coll. [Cat. no. 5157] K001104970
    s.coll. [Cat. no. 5157], Nepal K001104971
    Gomez, W. [Cat. no. 5157], Myanmar K001104972
    s.coll. [Cat. no. 5157] K001104973
    s.coll. [Cat. no. 5157] K001104974
    Phillipson, P.B. [4136], Madagascar K000480441
    s.coll. [Cat. no. 5157] K001104975
    Phillipson, P.B. [4136], Madagascar K000480442
    Sangkhachand, B. [1059], Thailand K000480443
    Monyrak, M. [207], Cambodia K000480444
    Buwalda, P. [7156], Indonesia K000480445
    Jayasuriya, A.H.M. [1439], Sri Lanka K000480446
    Carpenter, T. [275], Maldives K000480447
    Xiulan, H. [281], China K000480448
    Mathew, B. [42631], India K000480449
    T [141], Malaysia K000480450
    Hutton, I. [640], Australia K000480451
    Rogers, F.A. [25245], South Africa K000480452
    Cecil, E. [224], Zimbabwe K000365961 holotype
    Meller, C.J. [s.n.], Mozambique K000365963
    Meller, C.J. [s.n.], Mozambique K000365964 Unknown type material
    6606.000
    Brummitt, R.K. [8868], Malawi 34784.000
    Wallich, N. [5757G], Nepal K000524984
    Ash [575], Ethiopia 37437.000
    Gilbert, M.G. [3136], Ethiopia K000480414
    Gilbert, M.G. [2195], Ethiopia K000480415

    First published in Sp. Pl.: 305 (1753)

    Accepted in:

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    • [10] (2010) Journal of East African Natural History 99: 129-226
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    • [17] (2006) Garcia de Orta, Série de Botânica 17: 97-141
    • [18] (2006) Scripta Botanica Belgica 34: 1-199
    • [19] (2006) Scripta Botanica Belgica 35: 1-438
    • [21] (2005) Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • [22] (2005) Makinoa 5: 1-102
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    • [24] (2003) Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590
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    • [26] Govaerts, R. (2003) World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS G: 1-40325
    • [27] (2000) Flora of China 24: 1-431. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
    • [28] Dassanayake (ed.) (2000) A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 14: 1-307. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. PVT. LTD., New Delhi, Calcutta.
    • [30] (1997) Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 6: 1-586. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
    • [34] (1994) Atoll Research Bulletin 392: 1-223
    • [35] (1994) Flora of Australia 49: 1-681. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
    • [36] (1994) Flora of Bhutan 3(1): 1-456. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
    • [37] H?, P.-H. (1993) Câyc? Vi?tnam. An Illustrated flora of Vietnam 3(1): 1-603d. Pham-hoang Ho, Montréal.
    • [38] Lebrun, J.P., Toutain, B., Gaston, A. & Boudet, G. (1991) Catalogue des Plantes Vasculaires du Burkina Faso . Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
    • [40] Karthikeyan, S., Jain, S.K., Nayar, M.P. & Sanjappa, M. (1989) Florae Indicae Enumeratio: Monocotyledonae . Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
    • [41] Robertson, S.A. (1989) Flowering Plants of Seychelles . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
    • [42] (1988) Research Bulletin Dodo Creek Research Station 7: 1-203
    • [43] (1987) Atoll Research Bulletin 295: 1-33
    • [44] (1987) Flora of Australia 45: 1-521. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
    • [45] (1987) Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 20: 19-129
    • [46] (1985) Atoll Research Bulletin 287: 1-38
    • [47] Brunel, J.F., Hiepo, P. & Scholz, H. (eds.) (1984) Flore Analytique du Togo Phanérogames: 1-751. GTZ, Eschborn.
    • [50] Smith, A.C. (1979) Flora Vitiensis Nova. A new flora for Fiji (Spermatophytes only) 1: 1-495. Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai.
    • [51] (1978) Flora of Thailand 1: 1-694. The Forest Herbarium, National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok.
    • [52] Hara, H., Stearn, W.T. & Williams, H.J. (1978) An Enumeration of the Flowering Plants of Nepal 1: 1-154. Trustees of British Museum, London.
    • [53] Peyre de Fabregues, B. & Lebrun, J.-P. (1976) Catalogue des Plantes Vascularies du Niger . Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
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    • [59] (1948-1954) Flora Malesiana 4: 1-631. Noordhoff-Kolff N.V., Djakarta.

    Literature

    • [1] (2016) Phytotaxa 250: 1-431
    • [2] Sykes, W.R. (2016) Flora of the Cook Islands . National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii.
    • [6] Maroyi, A. (2012) The genus Gloriosa (Colchicaceae) - ethnobotany, phylogeny and taxonomy . Thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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    Sources

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    [A] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

    Flora of West Tropical Africa
    [B] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

    International Plant Names Index
    The International Plant Names Index (2016). Published on the Internet http://www.ipni.org
    [C] © Copyright 2016 International Plant Names Index. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

    Kew Species Profiles
    Kew Species Profiles
    [D] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    [E]

    World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
    World Checklist of Selected Plant Families(2016). Published on the Internet http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    [F] See http://kew.org/about-kew/website-information/legal-notices/index.htm You may use data on these Terms and Conditions and on further condition that: The data is not used for commercial purposes; You may copy and retain data solely for scholarly, educational or research purposes; You may not publish our data, except for small extracts provided for illustrative purposes and duly acknowledged; You acknowledge the source of the data by the words "With the permission of the Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" in a position which is reasonably prominent in view of your use of the data; Any other use of data or any other content from this website may only be made with our prior written agreement. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    [G] © Copyright 2016 International Plant Names Index and World Checkist of Selected Plant Families. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

    Plants and People Africa
    Roger and Alison Heath, Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com © Copyright Plants and People Africa. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    [H]