Gloriosa superba - Flame lily, Agnimukhi

Gloriosa,Agnimukhi

Agnimukhi is a genus of 12 species in the plant family Colchicaceae and include the formerly recognised genus Littonia. They are native in tropical and southern Africa to Asia and naturalised in Australia and the Pacific as well as being widely cultivated.

Uses

Arthritis, gout, rheumatism, inflammation, ulcer, skin diseases, leprosy, snake bite, gonorrhoea, purgative, itching, infertility, abdominal pain.

Parts Used

flower, fruits.

Chemical Composition

Seed contain high level of colchicines. Cornigerine, 3-demethyl-N-formyl-N-deacetyl-b-lumicolchicine, 3-demethyl-g-lumicolchicine, 3-demethyl colchicines have been isolated from plant. b-sitosterol

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Agnisikhe, karadikanninagadde
Hindi	bachnag, kadyanag
Malayalam	Kithonni, Mendoni
Tamil	Kallappai kilangu
Telugu	Agnisikha
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Agnimukhi
English	Glory Lily, Gloriosa lily

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter), Katu (Pungent)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Tikshna (Sharp)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Kapha, Vata

Habit

Perennial Climber

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	4-25 cm long and 1.5-4.5 cm wide	The leaves are alternately arranged along the stems, stalkless (i.e. sessile), and have entire margins

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	2-4cm long	Yellow	6	large and showy

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
large, fleshy	3-10 cm long and 1-2 cm wide	turn from green to yellow and eventually dark brown as they mature	These fruit contain numerous large red seeds	single	{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

A plant of the lowland tropics and subtropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 600 metres, the plant has a clear preference for seasonal, monsoon climates with a pronounced dry season

Commonly seen growing in areas

tropical, sub-tropical, warmer temperate region.

Photo Gallery

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External Links

• Gloriosa Lily Planting Guide
• Gloriosa Superba on flowers of india
• Medicinal Uses of Gloriosa superba (Flame lily)
• Gloriosa Lily Planting: Tips For Growing A Climbing Lily Plant