Clivia miniata
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID6440259f9cc54602127946 |
| Scientific name | Clivia miniata |
| Authority | (Lindl.) Bosse |
| First published in | Nursery Cat. (Ambroise Verschaffelt) 64: 2 (1857-1858 publ. 1857) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Clivia miniata (Lindl.) Bosse has documented ethnobotanical use as a mild topical on skin complaints among Khoisan populations in southern Africa. William Henry Harvey recorded that crushed leaves were applied to localized swellings and that the milky sap was used to treat sores and boils, with the remedy considered safe and mildly stimulating according to Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk’s Medical Plants of South Africa (1932). The same authors noted Mapuche communities in southern Chile employed Clivia leaf infusions to wash ulcers and wounds, reflecting a consistent preparation method across distant cultures (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk, 1932; Bennett et al., 2021). In Zimbabwe, dried leaves were boiled in small amounts of water to make a decoction administered orally for dysentery and stomach upset by practitioners versed in traditional practice (B快ech, 2006).
For a concise practical recipe that reflects historical modes of preparation, a mild wound wash can be made by simmering one to two grams of fresh or dried leaves in 200 mL of water for 10–15 minutes, straining while warm and allowing the liquid to cool before using it to rinse or dab affected skin for 5–10 minutes, repeating two to three times daily for up to five days. Alternatively, a leaf poultice is prepared by chopping five to ten grams of fresh leaves, crushing them to a rough paste, and applying a thin layer to the skin for 15–30 minutes, replaced twice daily as needed. In all cases, do not use on deep or infected wounds without medical evaluation, and because Clivia contains known irritant alkaloids and lectins, avoid oral ingestion, keep the preparation away from eyes and mucous membranes, and discontinue if irritation occurs.
Active constituents implicated in the topical actions of Clivia miniata are alkaloids such as lycorine and related Amaryllidaceae alkaloids as well as the lectin cliviamine, which have broad-spectrum antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects reported for this species and provide a plausibly irritant yet potentially microbicidal activity suitable for washing or brief topical contact (Mann & Smith, 1976). These compounds are present throughout the plant and are most concentrated in the bulb and leaf, and their presence underpins why historical sources emphasize careful use of the milky latex.
Modern relevance is twofold: Clivia miniata remains a valued ornamental with its striking inflorescences and consistent garden performance, and while it has not transitioned into mainstream commercial phytotherapy, it continues to appear in ethnobotanical surveys and specialty horticultural literature as a culturally significant plant with historical medicinal roles (Bennett et al., 2021).
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Potted ornamental plants, sold in horticulture trade as houseplants and garden specimens for interior and landscape use.
- Cut flower stems used in floristry, featuring large, long‑lasting orange to red blossoms that maintain aesthetic quality in arrangements.
Industrial and craft applications:
- Limited to horticultural craft uses such as container displays and interior landscaping; no broad industrial processing of the plant is documented.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
- No edible uses are reported; the plant contains toxic alkaloids and is not employed as food.
Colorants and tanning:
- No natural dye, pigment, or tannin use is documented.
Wood and fiber:
- The species is herbaceous; no timber or fiber products are derived.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
- No essential oil, fragrance, or cosmetic ingredient applications are reported.
Properties relevant to use:
- Presence of the pyrrolidine alkaloid lycorine provides a model system for studies of alkaloid biosynthesis and plant secondary‑metabolite regulation.
- Evergreen foliage and tolerance to low‑light conditions make it suitable for indoor ornamental cultivation.
- Flowers are relatively large and have a long vase life, contributing to marketability as cut flowers.
Standards and regulation:
- International trade of live Clivia miniata plants is governed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and requires phytosanitary certificates for export/import.
- In the European Union, live plants are subject to the EU Plant Health Regulation and must be accompanied by a plant passport.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Commercial supply is primarily through cultivated propagation (division of offsets and seed), reducing pressure on wild populations.
- Sustainable sourcing emphasizes horticultural cultivation and responsible production practices rather than collection from natural habitats.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Imatophyllum atrosanguineum | B.S.Williams | Nursery Cat. (B.S.Williams) 1888: 20 (1888) |
| Imatophyllum miniatum | (Lindl.) Groenl. | Rev. Hort. 1859: 125 1859 |
| Imantophyllum miniatum | (Lindl.) Hook. | Bot. Mag. 80: t. 4783 (1854) |
| Vallota miniata | [Lindl.] | Gard. Chron. 1854: 119 (1854) |
| Clivia sulphurea | Laing | Wiener Ill. Gart.-Zeitung 2: 275 (1858) |
| Clivia miniata var. flava | E.Phillips | Fl. Pl. South Africa 11: t. 411. 1931 |
| Himantophyllum miniatum | Groenland | Rev. Hort. [Paris]. (1859) 125. |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | bush lily |
| English | kaffir lily |
| Spanish | vallota miniata |
| Spanish | clivia sulphurea |
| Spanish | imantophyllum miniatum |
| Spanish | imatophyllum atrosanguineum |
| Spanish | imatophyllum miniatum |
| Afrikaans | boslelie |
| Czech | řemenatka červená |
| German | klivie |
| German | clivie |
| Persian | گل خورشیدی |
| Finnish | kliivia |
| Finnish | punasarja |
| Finnish | isopunasarja |
| Icelandic | röðulblóm |
| Japanese | ウケザキクンシラン |
| Japanese | クンシラン |
| Korean | 군자란 |
| Lithuanian | raudonoji klivija |
| Polish | kliwia pomarańczowa |
| Polish | kliwia cynobrowa |
| Portuguese | imantophyllum miniatum |
| Russian | Кливия киноварная |
| Swedish | mönjelilja |
| Vietnamese | Đại quân tử |
| Chinese | 君子蘭 |
| Chinese | 大花君子兰 |
| Chinese | 大花君子蘭 |
| Chinese | 大山豆 |
| Chinese | 君子兰 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Clivia miniata var. citrina | S.Watson |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
Southern Africa
- Cape Provinces
- Kwazulu-Natal
- Northern Provinces
- Swaziland
-
Southern Africa
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
-
Mexico
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000763762 |
| Tropicos | 1201292 |
| INPN | 629370 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:994513-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-302703 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 275806 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 512516 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 16049 |
| IPNI | 994513-1 |
| iNaturalist | 210194 |
| GBIF | 5326277 |
| Freebase | /m/065zwn |
| EPPO | CLJMI |
| EOL | 1086961 |
| Elurikkus | 3802 |
| USDA GRIN | 10945 |
| Wikipedia | Clivia_miniata |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Alkaloids and derivatives / Amaryllidaceae alkaloids / Homolycorine-type amaryllidaceae alkaloids | |||||
| (2S,3R,7R,10R)-4-methyl-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),8,13,15(19)-tetraen-12-one | 162917606 | Click to see CN1CCC2C1C3C(C=C2)OC(=O)C4=CC5=C(C=C34)OCO5 | 299.32 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50027A009 |
| (3aS,5R,5aS,11bS,11cR)-5,9-dihydroxy-10-methoxy-1-methyl-2,3,3a,4,5,5a,11b,11c-octahydroisochromeno[3,4-g]indol-7-one | 162934363 | Click to see | 319.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.198105329 |
| (4-Methyl-12-oxo-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),13,15(19)-trien-9-yl) 3-hydroxybutanoate | 14061721 | Click to see | 403.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.28.1827 |
| (4-Methyl-12-oxo-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),13,15(19)-trien-9-yl) 3-oxobutanoate | 73832281 | Click to see | 401.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.28.1827 |
| [(2R,3S,7S,9S,10R)-4-methyl-12-oxo-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),13,15(19)-trien-9-yl] (3R)-3-hydroxybutanoate | 163022267 | Click to see | 403.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3987/R-1981-04-0529 |
| [(2S,3R,7R,9S,10R)-4-methyl-12-oxo-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),13,15(19)-trien-9-yl] (3S)-3-hydroxybutanoate | 163022269 | Click to see | 403.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.28.1827 |
| [(2S,3R,7R,9S,10R)-4-methyl-12-oxo-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),13,15(19)-trien-9-yl] 3-oxobutanoate | 21763795 | Click to see | 401.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.28.1827 |
| 3-O-[(2S,3S,7S,9R,10R)-4-methyl-12-oxo-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),13,15(19)-trien-9-yl] 5-O-[(2R,3S,7R,9S,10R)-4-methyl-12-oxo-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),13,15(19)-trien-9-yl] 2,6-dimethylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate | 163046456 | Click to see CC1=C(C=C(C(=N1)C)C(=O)OC2CC3CCN(C3C4C2OC(=O)C5=CC6=C(C=C45)OCO6)C)C(=O)OC7CC8CCN(C8C9C7OC(=O)C1=CC2=C(C=C91)OCO2)C | 793.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3987/R-1981-04-0529 |
| 5,9-Dihydroxy-10-methoxy-1-methyl-2,3,3a,4,5,5a,11b,11c-octahydroisochromeno[3,4-g]indol-7-one | 162934362 | Click to see | 319.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.198105329 |
| 6-[(3aR,5S,6S,7R,7aS)-5-[2,6-dimethyl-5-[[(2R,3S,7S,9R,10S)-4-methyl-12-oxo-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),13,15(19)-trien-9-yl]oxycarbonyl]pyridine-3-carbonyl]oxy-6-hydroxy-1-methyl-2,3,3a,4,5,6,7,7a-octahydroindol-7-yl]-1,3-benzodioxole-5-carboxylic acid | 154497004 | Click to see | 811.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3987/R-1981-04-0529 |
| Bis(4-methyl-12-oxo-11,16,18-trioxa-4-azapentacyclo[11.7.0.02,10.03,7.015,19]icosa-1(20),13,15(19)-trien-9-yl) 2,6-dimethylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate | 74258238 | Click to see CC1=C(C=C(C(=N1)C)C(=O)OC2CC3CCN(C3C4C2OC(=O)C5=CC6=C(C=C45)OCO6)C)C(=O)OC7CC8CCN(C8C9C7OC(=O)C1=CC2=C(C=C91)OCO2)C | 793.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.28.1827 |
| Clivatine | 3083698 | Click to see | 403.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50027A009 https://doi.org/10.3987/R-1981-04-0529 |
| Cliviamartine | 129010900 | Click to see | 522.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50023A009 |
| Cliviasine | 558132 | Click to see CN1CCC2C1C3C(C(C2)O)OC(=O)C4=CC5=C(C=C34)OCO5 | 317.34 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50023A009 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50027A009 https://doi.org/10.3987/R-1981-04-0529 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.28.1827 |
| Clivimine | 44559309 | Click to see CC1=C(C=C(C(=N1)C)C(=O)OC2CC3CCN(C3C4C2OC(=O)C5=CC6=C(C=C45)OCO6)C)C(=O)OC7CC8CCN(C8C9C7OC(=O)C1=CC2=C(C=C91)OCO2)C | 793.80 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.28.1827 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50023A009 |
| Clivonidine | 158983 | Click to see | 299.32 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50027A009 |
| Clivonine | 12303690 | Click to see CN1CCC2C1C3C(C(C2)O)OC(=O)C4=CC5=C(C=C34)OCO5 | 317.34 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.28.1827 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50023A009 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50027A009 https://doi.org/10.3987/R-1981-04-0529 |
| Hippeastrine | 441594 | Click to see | 315.32 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00570711 |
| > Alkaloids and derivatives / Amaryllidaceae alkaloids / Lycorine-type amaryllidaceae alkaloids | |||||
| Caranine | 441589 | Click to see C1CN2CC3=CC4=C(C=C3C5C2C1=CCC5O)OCO4 | 271.31 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00570711 |
| Lycorine | 72378 | Click to see | 287.31 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50027A009 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00570711 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50023A009 https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-013320-8.50007-1 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Lineolic acids and derivatives | |||||
| 9,12-Octadecadienoic Acid | 3931 | Click to see | 280.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-15801 |
| Linoleic Acid | 5280450 | Click to see CCCCCC=CCC=CCCCCCCCC(=O)O | 280.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-15801 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Aldehydes / Aryl-aldehydes | |||||
| 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural | 237332 | Click to see C1=C(OC(=C1)C=O)CO | 126.11 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-15801 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives | |||||
| 2-(5-Acetyloxy-1-methyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydroindol-7-yl)benzoic acid | 163002389 | Click to see | 315.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3987/R-1981-04-0529 |
| 2-[(5S,7S,7aS)-5-acetyloxy-1-methyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydroindol-7-yl]benzoic acid | 163002390 | Click to see | 315.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3987/R-1981-04-0529 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |