#Endangeredplants

Across Thailand’s varied landscapes, the climbing lily ดองดึง (Gloriosa superba L.) has long fascinated traditional healers and village communities. With flame-like petals and local names such as คมขวาน, ว่านก้ามปู, and มะขาโก้ง, ดองดึง sits at the crossroads of folklore and medicine. Its story reflects both healing potential and significant risk, illustrating how ancient wisdom must be weighed against scientific evidence.

Historically, Thai communities recognized the plant’s potency. Healers used dried rhizomes to address rheumatism, gout, and skin conditions, and in some regions preparations were believed to act as an abortifacient or an antidote for snake bites. Different parts of the plant were employed in various forms—from tubers boiled in sesame oil to topical extracts for wounds and skin problems. Ethnobotanical studies across tropical Asia show similar uses, including treatment of intestinal worms, bruises, and rituals aimed at restoring bodily balance, known in Thai as ปรับธาตุ. The plant’s cultural significance is echoed globally, with Gloriosa superba celebrated as Zimbabwe’s national flower and featured as the floral emblem of Tamil Nadu in India.

Across Thailand’s diverse natural landscapes, the climbing lily known as ดองดึง (Gloriosa superba L.) has captured the imagination of traditional healers and villagers for generations. With its striking flame-like petals and many regional nicknames—such as คมขวาน, ว่านก้ามปู, and มะขาโก้ง—ดองดึง holds a storied place in the country’s folk medicine repertoire. Yet, as with many powerful natural remedies, this plant’s story is one of both healing and hazard: a tale where ancient wisdom intersects with contemporary science, underscoring the need for respect, caution, and deeper understanding.

Spikenard, known scientifically as Nardostachys grandiflora DC. and sometimes labeled Nardostachys jatamansi, sits at the crossroads of traditional healing and contemporary science. In Thai traditional medicine and global pharmacopoeias, this aromatic herb has long been linked to calming, balancing the body, and supporting recovery. Its story blends ritual use with ongoing efforts to understand nature’s remedies in today’s world.

From the Himalayas of Nepal, Bhutan, India, and Tibet to Thai clinics and holistic practices, spikenard has traveled far. In Thailand it is called โกฐชฎามังสี or โกฐจุฬารส. Trade over centuries helped it become a staple in Thai herbal formulas such as Pikad Kot blends used for fevers, detoxification, and purification. Its fragrance once scented robes and temples, and it now informs both spiritual and medical practices. Data from Thai pharmacopoeia and traditional texts frame its role in cooling and harmonizing the body during illness.

Long revered in sacred temples and in homes across Asia, the herbal medicine known as โกฐชฎามังสี, or “spikenard,” continues to spark curiosity among both traditional healers and modern scientists. Known scientifically as Nardostachys grandiflora DC. and often referred to by its synonym Nardostachys jatamansi, spikenard stands at the intersection of centuries-old wisdom and contemporary pharmacological research. Buried deep within Thai traditional medicine and world pharmacopoeias, its story is one of healing, ritual, and the ever-evolving quest to understand nature’s remedies in today’s world.