About

Gloriosa superba is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. It is native to and common across most of Africa except North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and south-central China. It has been introduced to parts of Americas, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

The plant produces several solitary bright red and yellow coloured flowers on long stalks. Though most parts of the plant are highly poisonous, it is used extensively in traditional medicine.

How to grow it

The plant is widely cultivated in South Asia, and in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa. The domestic cultivars may vary in characteristics from the wild plants. There are dwarf varieties and plants producing flowers with broader and smoother tepals. Several color variations are cultivated including plants producing all white, orange, plum, or yellow flowers. The plant can be propagated by seed or vegetatively by dividing the rhizome. The sprouting of the seeds can take anywhere between a few weeks to three months. The seeds can sprout even after remaining dormant for up to nine months. The tubers are divided every two years, and two-thirds of the tubers generally sprout within a month. However, an existing tuber can be used to propagate a maximum of two plants in a year.

Safety

The plant contains high levels of colchicine, an alkaloid, derived from the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine as precursors. Apart from colchicine and colchicoside, it contains several other alkaloids including gloriosine, and other chemicals such as chelidonic acid, and salicylic acid. The young leaves and seeds contain a higher concentration of colchicine, with the seeds containing a colchicine content that is two to five times higher than in the tuber. β-Sitosterol, a fatty acid, and glucosides are found in the flowers.

Due to the presence of colchicine, most parts of the plant are toxic, especially the seeds and the tubers. The plant parts or derived compounds are poisonous and ingestion can be fatal to humans, fish, cattle, and other domesticated animals. Poisonings also occur as the tubers are mistaken for sweet potato or yam and consumed. About 60 mg (0.93 gr) of colchicine is considered lethal to humans, while deaths have occurred at lower doses, and people have survived after ingesting doses of up to 350 mg (5.4 gr).

Where it grows

The plant is native to Africa, tropical regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia, and south-central China. In Africa, except North Africa, it is found in most of the mainland, from Senegal in the east to Ethiopia in the west, and all the way down to South Africa. It has been introduced to Alabama and Hawaii in the United States, parts of the Caribbean, Suriname in South America, the Australian territories of New South Wales, Queensland, and Northern Territory, and various Pacific Islands.

Uses

It is grown as an ornamental plant for its varied colored flowers. As it contains colchicine, it is widely used in pharmaceuticals. Colchicine is used in the treatment of gout, and other inflammatory disorders.

Other Gloriosa plants

Flame Lily