Rosy rain lily benefits and uses

Scientific names Common names
Amaryllis carnea Schult. & Schult.f. Cuban zephyrlily (Engl.)
Amaryllis rosea (Lindl.) Spreng. [Illegitimate] Fairy lily (Engl.)
Atamosco rosea (Lindl.) Greene Pink rain lily (Engl.)
Zephyranthes carnea (Schult. & Schult.f.) D.Dietr. Rain lily (Engl.)
Zephyranthes rosea Lindl. Rose fairy lily (Engl.)
Rosy rain lily (Engl.)
Storm lily (Engl.)
Zephyranthes rosea Lindl. is an accepted name The Plant List

 

Other vernacular names
FRENCH: Lis zéphyr rose.
GERMAN: Rosafarbene, Windlbume.
SPANISH: Duende rojo, Leli de San Jose.
VIETNAMESE: Tóc tiên hồng.

rain lily

General information about rain lily

Rain lily names derives from its characteristic for blooming only after heavy rains. Zephyranthes rosea literally comes from the Greek zephuros (an anemoi) and anthos (flower). Zephyros, the Greek personification of the west wind, is also associated with rainfall. The species name rosea comes from Latin for “rosy.”

Botany of rain lily

Zephyranthes rosea is a low-growing, stemless, rosette-like herb with tunicated, ovoid bulb. Leaves are grassy, shiny, linear, all basal, thick, flat, and fleshy. Scape is slightly compressed, erect, green, arising from the elongation of the bulb to flowering, slightly longer than the leaves, bearing a single flower. Perianth is pink to purple, tube is funnel-shaped, 4 centimeters long with six oblong lobes, 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide; the inner three are narrower than the somewhat spreading outer ones. Stamens are six, yellow-anthered, with filaments attached to the throat of the perianth tube. Filiform style extends into a 3-lobed stigma, towering above the stamens. Ovary is 3-celled and grows into a 3-valved capsule which is more of less globose.

Distribution of rain lily

– Found widespread at low and medium altitudes.

– Cultivated as an ornamental plant.

– Naturalized to tropical America, Asia, Australia and some Pacific Islands.

Constituents found in rain lily

– Bulbs yield lycorine, galanthamine, epimaritidine, crinamine, haemanthamine, maritidine.

Study yielded an alkaloid, (+)-epimaritinine.

Properties of rain lily

Toxicity: Bulbs of some Zephyranthes species contain various toxic alkaloids including lycorine and haemanthamine. They can cause vomiting, convulsions, and death to humans, livestock, and poultry. Although rain lily bulbs are considered to have low toxicity, homeowners must be aware of the poisonous potential of rainlily. (see source study )

Parts utilized

– Bulbs.

Uses
Folkloric traditional medicinal benefits and uses of rain lily

– In China, used for treating breast cancer.

– In India, bulb extracts of Z. rosea and Z. flava used for treatment of diabetes, ear and chest ailments, and viral infections.

Scientific studies on rain lily

Lectins / Agglutination Effect / Potential for Bacterial Typing:

102 plant extracts from 13 monocot families in Vietnam were screening for lectin activity. Zephyranthes rosea had an agglutinating effect on Staph aureus suggesting a potential for a classification scheme for bacterial typing. The tuber showed the highest lectin activity.

(+)-epimaritidine / Alkaloid:

Study isolated (+)-epimaritidine, an alkaloid from Zephyranthes rosea. (+)-Epimaritidine comprises a missing link in the C-3 epimeric pairs of 5,10b-ethanophenanthridine alkaloids of the vittatine-haemanthamine type.

Availability

Wild-crafted.

Read about other interesting fruits

Acai berry        Ambarella         Avocado           Bael       Banana      Bilberry      Cocunut   

 Cantaloupe        Cashew apple      Dragon Fruit    Durian      Fig      Jack fruit   Jamun      

 Kiwi        Lychee      Malay apple     Mango        Mangosteen       Miracle fruit         Pomelo  

 Papaya     Passion fruit     Phalsa      Pineapple           Plum       Pomegranate       

Prickly pear      Quince       Rambutan           Roselle          Santol          Sapota       

Sea buckthorn       Sour Orange     Soursop           Sweet Lime         Star gooseberry 

Star Apple        Strawberry     Surinam Cherry          Sweet lime        Tamarind       Tomato 

Tree tomato      Wampi       Watermelon         Wood apple

Read about herbs and spices

Allspice          Alfalfa       Ashwagandha        Bay leaf              Black cohosh           

Black onion seeds       Black pepper       Cayenne pepper    Celery          Chives       

 Chamomile        Clove     Coffee senna    Coriander       Curry leaf         Cumin        

Eucalyptus       Fennel            Fenugreek       Garlic      Ginger         Gotu Kola       

Hibiscus         Holy basil    Jasmine     Kava Kava     Lavender     Licorice   

Long pepper    Lotus   Majoram      Marigold     Mugwort     Mustard seeds      

 Neem    Nutmeg       Oregano     Peppermint     Red  clover        Rose       Rosemary           

Sage         Sensitive plant   St.John’s wort        Tarragon        Thyme     Triphala powder        

Turmeric     Vetiver grass    Wheat grass      Wild amarnath