Gen info
- Iphigenia is a flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae, described by Kunth, and consisting of 11 species. Like other taxa in Colchicaceae, Iphigenia contains phenethylisoquinoline alkaloids including colchicene. (3)
- Etymology: The genus name Iphigenia derives from the Greek mythological character, Iphigenia, princess of Mycenae, daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. (3)

Botany
• Corm globose, 0.5--1.5 cm in diam. Stem 10--25 cm, usually minutely papillose. Leaves linear, 7--15 cm × 3--9 mm, midvein conspicuous, base sheathing and clasping. Corymb 2--10-flowered; bracts linear, 1.5--2.5 cm; pedicels 2--4 cm. Tepals dark purple, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 7--10 × 0.7--1 mm. Stamens 2--3 mm; filaments papillose; anthers ca. 1 mm. Stigma lobes recurved. Capsule obovoid to oblong, 6--8 × 3--3.5 mm. (Flora of China)

• Herb 20–40 cm high; stem simple or sparsely branched. Leaves mostly crowded along stem, linear or gradually tapering, flat or channelled, 5–20 cm long, 1.5–4.5 mm wide, glabrous. Inflorescence 1–4-flowered; pedicels erect, usually 5–20 mm long at anthesis; bracts 1-several per flower. Tepals linear, 5–10 mm long, acute, dark red or reddish brown. Stamens less than half as long as tepals; filaments glabrous; anthers c. 1 mm long, purple. Capsule c. 20 mm long and 5 mm diam. (New South Wales Flora on Line)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- In Luzon: Cavite, Laguna, NCR, Rizal; Mindanao: Bikidnon, Davao, Davao del Sur. In low and medium elevation grasslands. (2)
- Also native to Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, Hainan, India, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Northern Territory, Queensland, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Western Australia. (1)

Properties
- Studies have suggested anticancer, apoptotic, antiproliferative, antiangiogenic properties.

Parts used
Fruits, tubers, stems.

Uses
Edibility
- No specific reports on edibility; however, fruit decoction used for treatment of acne.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In India, decoction of fruits drunk daily for treatment of acne.
- Used for treatment of asthma, bronchitis, scrofula, rabies, abscesses.
- In Siiddha medicine, bulb used for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, scorpion stings, snake bites; leaves used for fever; stems used for colic, erectile dysfunction, headache, and snakebites. (6)
- In Maharashtra, tuber powder used for treatment of snake bites and migraine. (8)
Others
- Agroforestry: Used as windbreak and for erosion control.

Studies
• Inhibitory Effects on Lung Adenocarcinoma A549: Study evaluated the inhibitory effects of Iphegenia indica extracts on lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells through the P13K/AKT1 signaling pathway. Results showed decreased viability of A549 cells with increasing extract concentration. Results suggest extracts may inhibit malignant biological behaviors of lung adenocarcinoma cells through the P13K/AKT1 signaling pathway by inducing apoptosis, inhibiting proliferation, migration and invasion, and regulating the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, P13K, and AKT1. Study suggest potential as a therapeutic agent for lung adenocarcinoma. (4)
• Anti-Breast Cancer Mechanism: Study reviewed recent studies on anti-breast cancer mechanism of Iphigenia indica. As a commonly used anticancer drug in traditional Chinese and Mongolian medicine, I. indica not only inhibits growth and proliferation of cancer cells, induce apoptosis, interfere with invasion and migration, but also resist angiogenesis. (5)
• Antitumor / Colchicene: Study of colchicene-amide (CA) extracted from Iphigenia indica showed varying degrees of antitumor effect against mice S180, S37, hepatoma (solid form), SAK, lymphosarcoma, and rat W256 tumor. Compared with colchicene at optimal dose, the effect of colchicene-amide is more pronounced and with less toxicity. CA causes serious tumor cell degeneration, including cytoplasmic swelling, vacuolization, karyopyknosis, karyorrhexis, karyolysis and liquefying necrosis of S180 tumor tissue. (7)

Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Extracts, tinctures, dried rhizomes in the cybermarket. (eb) (Wa)

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Iphigea indica / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Iphigenia indica / Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines
(3)
Iphigenia / Wikipedia
(4)
Targeting the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/AKT1 Signaling Pathway: Iphigenia indica Extracts Induce Apoptosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells / Xiaodong Song, Shanshan Guo, Mei Wang, Rui Fan, Yang Li et al / Science of Advanced Materials, 2023; 15(4): pp 571-578 / DOI: 10.1166/sam.2023.4459
(5)
Research progress on anti-breast cancer mechanism of Iphigenia indica. / Ying Liu, Zi-Ying Zhang, Li-Jie Ma / Drugs and Clinic, 2019; 34(3): pp 863-866 / pISSN: 1674-5515 / CABI Rec No: 20230523621
(6)
Iphigenia indica / IMPPAT: Indian Medicinal Plants, Phytochemistry and Therapeutics
(7)
Pharmacologic Study of Colchicener-Amide / Li Dehua, Zhang Shukun, Hao Xiaoge et al / Chinese Medical Journal, 1980; 93(3): pp 188-190
(8)
Medicinal plants of Taleran sacred groves from Junnar Tehsil of Maharashtra: An ethnobotanical perspective / Pravin Sangale, Rahul Zanan et al / Journal of Medicinal Plant Studies, 2025; 13(2): pp 216-223   / eISSN: 2320-3862 / pISSN: 2394-0530
(9)
Iphigenia indica / OSADHI : Online Structural and Analytics-based Database for Herbs of India

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