Gloriosa superba 嘉蘭

Liliaceae 百合科

Crisped Glory Lily, Climbing Lily1

鐵線雞爪1

POISONOUS PARTS

Whole plant, especially the tubers.2–4

TOXICITY

CLINICAL MANAGEMENT

Supportive treatment.

IDENTIFICATION FEATURES

Perennial herbs, stems scandent, 2–3 m or longer. Leaves 7–13 cm long, apex long caudate with a tendril. Flowers nodding; pedicels 10–15 cm long. Tepals reflexed, bright red, sometimes tinged with yellow, 4.5–5 cm × 7–9 mm, margin much crisped. Stamens 6; filaments 3–4 cm long; anthers about 1 cm long. Styles 2.5–3.5 cm long; stigma lobes 6–7 mm long. Capsules 6–12 cm long, fleshy. Seeds red.14

MEDICINAL USES

In Asia and Africa, the plant has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of inflammation, parasitic and bacterial infection. In addition, colchicine is used to treat gout in western medicine.11,15,16

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

Colchicine can be detected by HPLC-DAD, GC-MS and LC-MS/MS.17–19