A small, glabrous herb with a pale, ovoid or pear-shaped bulb 5 to 10 cm long. Leaves linear, nearly flat, apex acute, appearing after the flowers. Scape erect, brittle 30 to 45 cm longand 4 to 6 mm in diameter at the base. Flowers greenish-white, brownish or purplish, drooping or spreading in terminal racemes 15 to 30 cm long; bracts minute; pedicels, slender; perianth campanulate, segmeents 1 cm long and 2.5 to 3 mm wide, oblong lanceolate, obtuse. Fruits (capsule) ellipsoidal or oblong, tapering to both ends, the cells 6 to 9 seeded; seeds flattened, black.

Heart stimulant, anthelmintic, alexiteric, expectorant, cardiac, diuretic deobstruent and emmenagogue (bulb) and cyanogenetic (plant); aids in removing any obstructions to secretion or excretion (in the body) and expectorant.

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Hentriacontanol, octacosanoic acid and glycosides (scillaren A and scillaren B) (bulb); sitosterol, stigmasterol and campasterol (root, bulb and leaf); scillarenin (tuber)

In rheumatism, asthma, preparing “chandni bhasma” (which is used in paralysis), as a deobustruent, prescribed for dropsy, rheumatism, skin diseases, bronchitis, asthma, renal calculi, leprosy, scabies, headaches and diseases of the nose (bulb).

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.