Gloriosa Superba Seeds, For Medicinal Uses

Gloriosa superba (Calihari) is mainly found in tropical forests of Africa and Asia. Fire lily, Climbing lily, Flame lily, and Glory lily are its other names. It is also found in USA, Indochina, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar Island. For the growth, it requires 375cm of annual rainfall. In India, it is found in Tamil Nadu and other South Indian forests. In Australia, it grows in the coastal region of Queensland. It does not require much nutrition for growth. This is the state flower of Tamil Nadu and the national flower of Zimbabwe.

Flame Lilly is the source of Thiocolchicoside and Colchicine. Both are extracted from the seeds of Gloriosa superba. Thiocolchicoside is a semi-synthetic sulfur derivative of colchicoside, a naturally occurring glucoside present in the plant Gloriosa superb seeds in the process of producing Colchicine. It is a pale Yellow Powder.

Benefits

• The name Gloriosa superba is composed of two words. ‘ Gloriosa’ means full of glory, ‘superba’ meaning superb. And the name itself proves its medicinal value. Below are few of it:
• It gives ease from the neuralgic pain.
• It cures skin diseases and itching in the skin.
• It kills worms in the body.
• It gives comfort from abdominal pain.
• It is also used in the treatment of piles and chronic ulcer.
• The extract from the root is used as a tonic that can add vigour to the body.
• As a rich source of colchicines, the seeds of Glory Lily are used in the treatment of rheumatism and gout.
• It is also used to cure sexually transmitted diseases.