Page 2 - common trees of flowers of Uttarakhand

02 | COMMON TREES AND FLOWERS OF UTTARAKHAND WILD FLOWER OF TERAI BHABHAR

Colchicaceae Glory Lily Gloriosa superba
Alternate English name: Flame Lily Local name: Kalihari

Synonym Gloriosa speciosa,
Eugone speciosa
Plant type and size Native
Herbaceous vine, 1-5m tall.
Flower size 5- 7.6cm.
Flowering July-September
Description This is a fairly common
vine, usually found growing from a
tuber, on the fringes of forests, up to
1000m elevation. It is able to grow
in poor soils. The thin stem and
leaves are light green in colour. The
4-7cm long, lance-shaped leaves end
at the apex as coiled tendrils, which Suniti Bhushan Datta
wind around twigs and support the
plant. The flowers of this plant are

easily recognised with five, upright, wrinkled petals that
are orange-red in young flowers and take on a bi-
coloured appearance in mature ones, with a yellow base
and red-orange on the upper third. Petals are separate,
and the prominent stamens spreading outward. The
fruits are a fleshy brown capsule, 6-12cm long,
containing red seeds.

Medicinal and other uses
The plant, although extremely
toxic to humans and animals,
has several uses in Ayurveda,
to induce vomiting, and to
treat chronic ulcers, leprosy
and alleviate earaches and
snakebites. The active
ingredient of the plant is an
alkaloid called Colchicine,
which is used in conventional
medicine to treat rheumatism
and gout.

Sanjay Sondhi Sanjay Sondhi

Nature notes Sanjay Sondhi
It is the larval host plant of the Lily Moth Polytela gloriosae.
Glory Lily is the state flower of Tamil Nadu.

TERAI MID-ALTITUDE
LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE
COMMON TREES AND FLOWERS OF UTTARAKHAND
E H E H