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Flame lilly or glory lilly (Gloriosa superba)

Company School1770/1810

Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery

Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
Exeter, United Kingdom

The whole plant is very poisonous. It
contains colchicine which interferes with the way cells divide and can cause
abnormalities. In southern India it is used in Ayurvedic medicine for treating
gout and worms, as a laxative or to produce abortion. Colchicine from a
different plant is used in modern pharmaceuticals to treat gout.

Natural order Liliaceae - the genus Gloriosa comprises several species of very ornamental plants of the Lily kind, the name referring to the handsome flowers. The species illustrated is a native of tropical Asia and Africa, introduced into England where it is grown in hothouses in 1860.      Drawings of Indian plants and trees later named at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew.

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  • Title: Flame lilly or glory lilly (Gloriosa superba)
  • Creator Nationality: Indian
  • Date: 1770/1810
  • Physical Dimensions: w385 x h548 mm
  • Provenance: Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter City Council.
  • Type: Drawing
  • Medium: Watercolour
  • Artist: Company School
Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery

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