Plant of Hilly Region found in Chennai

When I visit my Chennai home, it is my routine to go out with my Handycame.  Because I love the nature I will wander here and there starring at the plants.  During August 2013, I have noticed lot of beautiful  yellow flowers in an abandoned paddy field.  As they are located at the outskirt of Chennai, more probably they became  plots for future construction of homes.

The common name of this plant is Golden Eye Grass. It is also called as Black Musli (Kali Musli in Hindi) The Botanical name is Curculigo orchioides.  The plant belongs to the family Hypoxidaceae.

Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (Family Hypoxidaceae) is an endangered rasyana herb which is poularly known as "Kali Musli".  The plant is native to India and holds a special position as a potent adaptogen and aphrodisiac in Ayurvedic system of medicine.  It is an important ingredient of many Ayurvedic preparations and is considered to have aphrodisiac, immunostimulant, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anticancer and antidiabetic activities. Various chemical constituents like mucilage, phenolic glycosides, aponins and aliphatic compunds from the plant have been reported.  The plant is also considered as an important component of various herbal preparations of the Chinese and Kampo medicines

Usually this plant will grow in hilly regions have cool climate.  It a small herb with slender, sessile or petiolate leaves.  The eye-catching flowers are bright golden yellow colour.  The petals will be usually 6 in numbers. The flowers are pedicellate or sessile and appear in cluters.  The anthers are sagitate (Spear-like).  The plant has tuberous roots.  The outer rind will be black in colour and the inner part is white in colour.

The Tamil name is  நி ல ப்  ப னை 

I am lucky as I could notice the same plants in bloom this year also, August 2014.