Linn.Family: Amaryllidaceae.
Habitat: Wild as well as cultivated as an ornamental.
English: St. John's Lily, Poison Bulb.Ayurvedic: Naagadamani, Naa- gapatra, Sudarshana (var.). C. defixum Ker.-Gawl, is equated with Sukhadarshana.Siddha/Tamil: Vishamoongil.Action: Bulb—laxative (a substitute for ipecacuanha), expectorant. Used in biliousness, and in strangury and other urinary affections. Also used for the treatment of burns, whitlow and carbuncle. Fresh root—diaphoretic, emetic. Leaves— expectorant; externally, anti- inflammatory (used in skin diseases and for reducing inflammations). Seed—emmenagogue, diuretic.
The bark gave sterols and triter- penoids. Seeds contain alkaloids— lycorine, crinamine and crinasiatine.
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