Common name: flame lily, climbing lily, creeping lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily, tiger claw and fire lily
Tamil Name: காந்தள்
Tamil Name: காந்தள்
Scientific name: Gloriosa sp.
Photo credit: B. S. Karthikeyan
Photo shot at: Premises inside Mahatma Gandhi-Doerenkamp Center, BDU
Description: This is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. It is also the state flower of Tamil Nadu. This plant is poisonous, toxic enough to cause human and animal fatalities if ingested. The plant likely is pollinated by butterflies and sunbirds. It can grow in nutrient-poor soils. The alkaloid-rich plant has long been used as a traditional medicine in many cultures. It has been used in the treatment of gout, infertility, open wounds, snakebite, ulcers, arthritis, cholera, colic, kidney problems, typhus, itching, leprosy, bruises, sprains, hemorrhoids, cancer, impotence, nocturnal emission, smallpox, sexually transmitted diseases, and many types of internal parasites. It is an anthelmintic. It has been used as a laxative and an alexiteric. The sap is used to treat acne and head lice. In a pregnant woman, it may cause abortion. In parts of India, extracts of the rhizome are applied topically during childbirth to reduce labor pain. Other uses for this plant include arrow poison in Nigeria and snake repellent in India. The flowers are part of religious rituals.
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