Red Squill

RED SQUILL

Red squill consists of the bulb of Urginea maritima. The red species has deep, reddish-brown outer scales and yellowish white inner scales, covered with a pinkish epidermis, inter-mediate forms also occurring. Red colour is attributed to anthocyanin. There is no much difference in constituents when compared to white squill but it contains scilliroside, a glycoside; which is toxic to rats. No essential difference exists in the medicinal properties of the two kinds. The white and red squills are called chemical races.