Non Indian garden plant of Montbretia.
The blackberry lily is thought to have
originated in China where it has long been used medicinally. Slices of the
rhizome are commonly used for clearing phlegm from the throat, as well as for
genitourinary disorders and troubles in the digestive system. In the Malabar
region of India it is known as an antidote to the bite of the cobra.
The English name, blackberry lily, refers to
the seeds which are black and shiny, developing in a clump outside the capsule.
Drawings of Indian plants and trees later named at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew