CHENNAI: Only a very few medicinal plant species have been profitable for the farmers with the high returns. These crops are considered better than the cash crops that farmers regularly cultivate. One such medicinal crop is Gloriosa superba L. belonging to the family Colchicaceae, popularly known as Flame Lily.
It has ranked first in the list of commercially cultivated medicinal plants, for more than 25 years, therefore it is fondly known as ‘money-spinner’ among the farmers! The archetypal poem on 99 flowers of the sangam literature Kurinji Paattu also begins with the name Kaanthal (is correlated to the botanical name Gloriosa superba L.) illustrating the importance of this plant.
Further, Kaanthal is the State of flower of Tamil Nadu. The words in the scientific name ‘glory’ and ‘superb’ express the beauty of this wild climber as well!
Kaanthal is a perennial but perennating (emerge during only rainy season from the resting underground rhizomes and the aerial parts dries soon after setting seeds) climber, with fleshy, traditional plough-shaped (hence another name in Tamil ‘kalappaik kizhangu’) rhizomes. Stems are smooth and leaves 5-15 cm long and 1-3 cm broad, oblong-lanceolate, base heart-shaped, clasping the stem, with tips narrow and modified into tendrils.
Flowers are axillary, solitary or clustered, about 10 cm across; stalks 6-12 cm long; flower-lobes 6, base yellow, red and narrow towards apex, margins prominently wavy. The striking arrangement of five, red-tipped yellow petals are often compared with the maruthaani (henna) in Tamil literature! However, this combination of colours could be a strain for the eye, hence it has one more name in Tamil, ‘kannu vali poo’!
Stamens are very distinct in this flower, about 4 cm long with conspicuous rotating (versatile) anthers. Capsules are 3-5 cm long, ellipsoid. Seeds are many, 4 mm across, globose, warty. Flame Lily, commonly grows in scrub forests and along wayside thickets near foothills, emerges immediately after monsoon.
This drug was also used to induce labour for child birth. It is known as Gouri hoo in Kannada; Medoni in Malayam and Adavi Nabhi in Telugu.
Significance in traditional medicine
Kaanthal has been mentioned in our traditional systems of medicine for treating skin diseases, intestinal worms, chronic ulcers, leprosy and cancer, to kill head lice and as antidote for poisonous bites. This drug was also used to induce labour for child birth.