''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s containing around 160

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

which grow from bulb-like

corm A corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ' ...

s. It is a member of the botanical

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Colchicaceae, and is

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to West

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, parts of the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

coast, down the

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

n coast to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

. In this genus, the

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

of the

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

is underground. As a consequence, the styles are extremely long in proportion, often more than . All species in the genus are toxic.

Common names

The common names autumn crocus, meadow saffron and naked lady may be applied to the whole genus or to many of its species; they refer to the "naked"

crocus ''Crocus'' (; plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family) comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain undergro ...

-like flowers that appear in late summer or autumn, long before the strap-like foliage which appears in spring. ''Colchicum'' and ''Crocus'' look alike and can be confused by the casual observer. To add to the confusion, there are autumn-flowering species of crocus. However, colchicums have 3 styles and 6

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s, while crocuses have 1 style and 3 stamens. In addition, the

structures are quite different—in ''Colchicum'', the corm is irregular, while in crocuses, the corm is like a flattened ball. ''

Crocus ''Crocus'' (; plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family) comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain undergro ...

'' is in the iris

Iridaceae Iridaceae is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours. There are 66 accepted genera with a total of c. 2244 species worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016). It include ...

Etymology

The name of the genus derives from Κολχίς ( Colchis), the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

name for the region of კოლხეთი (

Kolkhida In Greco-Roman geography, Colchis (; ) was an exonym for the Georgian polity of Egrisi ( ka, ეგრისი) located on the coast of the Black Sea, centered in present-day western Georgia. Its population, the Colchians are generally though ...

) in modern Georgia (

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

). Colchis features in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

as the land to which the

Argonauts The Argonauts (; Ancient Greek: ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, '' Argo'', ...

journeyed in quest of the golden fleece and where Jason encountered

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...

. The Greek

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

''Colchis'' is thought by scholars to derive from the

Urartian Urartian or Vannic is an extinct Hurro-Urartian language which was spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Urartu (''Biaini'' or ''Biainili'' in Urartian), which was centered on the region around Lake Van and had its capital, Tushpa, ...

''Qulḫa'', pronounced "Kolcha" (guttural "ch" - as in Scots ''loch'').

Relationships

'' Colchicum melanthioides'', also known as ''Androcymbium melanthioides'', is probably the best known species from the

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

regions. In contrast to most temperate colchicums, the flower and leaves are produced at the same time, the white flowers usually in a small corymb that is enclosed by white bracts. Close relatives such as '' Colchicum scabromarginatum'' (''Androcymbium scabromarginatum'') and '' Colchicum coloratum'' (''Androcymbium burchellii'') have flowers with very short stalks and may be pollinated by

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

Cultivation

Temperate colchicums are commonly grown in gardens as ornamental flowers. Species found in cultivation include: * ''C.'' × ''agrippinum'' *'' C. autumnale'' * ''C.'' × ''byzantinum'' *'' C. cilicicum'' *'' C. lusitanum'' *'' C. speciosum'' *'' C. tenorei'' There are also

cultivars A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...

and hybrids such as:- *''C.'' 'Dick Trotter' (violet with white centre) *''C.'' 'Disraeli' (purple white), *''C.'' 'Giant' (red with white centre) *''C.'' 'Harlekijn' (white with purple band) *''C.'' 'Lilac Wonder' (lilac) *''C.'' 'Pink Goblet' (violet-purple) *''C.'' 'Poseidon' (purple) *''C.'' 'Rosy Dawn' (rose pink) *''C.'' 'Violet Queen' (purple) *''C.'' 'Waterlily' (double, lilac-pink) Those marked have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

(confirmed 2017). In the United Kingdom, the

National Collection The UK National Collection is a collection of around 280 historic rolling stock, rail vehicles (predominantly of British origin). The majority of the collection is kept at four national museums: * National Railway Museum, York * National Railwa ...

of colchicums is maintained at Felbrigg Hall,

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

Medicinal uses and poisonous properties

Plants in this genus contain toxic amounts of the

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

colchicine which is used pharmaceutically to treat

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intensit ...

and Familial Mediterranean fever. The use of the

root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...

s and seeds in traditional medicine is thought to have arisen due to the presence of this drug. Its

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

and

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s are

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

ous. Murderer

Catherine Wilson Catherine Wilson (1822 – 20 October 1862) was a British murderer who was hanged for one murder, but was generally thought at the time to have committed six others. She worked as a nurse and poisoned her victims after encouraging them to leave ...

is thought to have used it to poison a number of victims in the 19th Century. The species known to contain the most lethal amount of colchicine is '' C. autumnale''.

Species

The following are the species included in the genus ''Colchicum''. Many species previously classified in ''Androcymbium'', ''Bulbocodium'' and ''Merendera'' were moved to ''Colchicum'' based on

molecular genetic Molecular genetics is a sub-field of biology that addresses how differences in the structures or expression of DNA molecules manifests as variation among organisms. Molecular genetics often applies an "investigative approach" to determine the ...

evidence. ''

Androcymbium ''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a genus of perennial flowering plants containing around 160 species which grow from bulb-like corms. It is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coas ...

'' is currently considered a separate genus by some. * ''Colchicum'' × ''agrippinum'' (probably a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

of garden origin) * ''

Colchicum alpinum ''Colchicum alpinum'', the alpine autumn crocus, is a corm-forming perennial with pale, delicate rosy-purple flowers, similar to '' C. autumnale'' but smaller. It is native to the Alps and the Appennini of Italy, Switzerland, France and Sicily ...

'' DC. in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck & A.P.de Candolle * '' Colchicum androcymbioides'' (Valdés) K.Perss. * '' Colchicum antepense'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum antilibanoticum'' Gomb. * '' Colchicum arenarium'' Waldst. & Kit. * ''

Colchicum arenasii ''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a genus of perennial plant, perennial flowering plants containing around 160 species which grow from bulb-like corms. It is a member of the botanical family (biology), family Colchicaceae, and is native plant, native to W ...

'' Fridl. * '' Colchicum asteranthum'' Vassiliades & K.M.Perss. * '' Colchicum atropurpureum'' Stapf ex Stearn (unresolved name) * '' Colchicum atticum'' Spruner ex Tommas. * '' Colchicum autumnale'' L. * '' Colchicum balansae'' Planch. * '' Colchicum baytopiorum'' C.D.Brickell * '' Colchicum bivonae'' Guss. * ''

Colchicum boissieri ''Colchicum boisseri'' is a plant species in the genus ''Colchicum'' (the autumn crocuses) native to southern Greece and south-western Turkey but cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental.Theodhoros Georgios Orphanides. 1876. Atti Cong. Bot. Firenz ...

'' Orph. * '' Colchicum bulbocodium'' Ker Gawl. * '' Colchicum burttii'' Meikle * ''Colchicum'' × ''byzantinum'' Ker Gawl. * '' Colchicum chalcedonicum'' Azn. * '' Colchicum chimonanthum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum chlorobasis'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum cilicicum'' (Boiss.) Dammer * '' Colchicum confusum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum corsicum'' Baker * ''

Colchicum cretense ''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a genus of perennial flowering plants containing around 160 species which grow from bulb-like corms. It is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coa ...

'' Greuter * '' Colchicum crocifolium'' Boiss. * '' Colchicum cupanii'' Guss. * '' Colchicum davisii'' C.D.Brickell * '' Colchicum decaisnei'' Boiss. * '' Colchicum doerfleri'' Halácsy * '' Colchicum dolichantherum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum eichleri'' (Regel) K.Perss. * '' Colchicum euboeum'' (Boiss.) K.Perss. * '' Colchicum fasciculare'' (L.) R.Br. * '' Colchicum feinbruniae'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum figlalii'' (Varol) Parolly & Eren * '' Colchicum filifolium'' (Cambess.) Stef. * '' Colchicum freynii'' Bornm. * '' Colchicum gonarei'' Camarda * '' Colchicum graecum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum greuteri'' (Gabrieljan) K.Perss. * '' Colchicum haynaldii'' Heuff. * '' Colchicum heldreichii'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum hierosolymitanum'' Feinbrun * '' Colchicum hirsutum'' Stef. * ''

Colchicum hungaricum ''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a genus of perennial flowering plants containing around 160 species which grow from bulb-like corms. It is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coas ...

'' Janka * '' Colchicum ignescens'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum imperatoris-friderici'' Siehe ex K.Perss. * '' Colchicum inundatum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum kesselringii'' Regel * '' Colchicum kotschyi'' Boiss. * '' Colchicum kurdicum'' (Bornm.) Stef. * ''

Colchicum laetum ''Colchicum laetum'' is a species of ''Colchicum'' found in south east Russia through to the Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and ...

'' Steven * '' Colchicum lagotum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum leptanthum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum lingulatum'' Boiss. & Spruner in P.E.Boissier * '' Colchicum longifolium'' Castagne * '' Colchicum lusitanum'' Brot. * '' Colchicum luteum'' Baker * ''

Colchicum macedonicum ''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a genus of perennial flowering plants containing around 160 species which grow from bulb-like corms. It is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coa ...

'' Kosanin * '' Colchicum macrophyllum'' B.L.Burtt * '' Colchicum manissadjianii'' (Azn.) K.Perss. * '' Colchicum micaceum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum micranthum'' Boiss. * ''

Colchicum minutum ''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a genus of perennial flowering plants containing around 160 species which grow from bulb-like corms. It is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coa ...

'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum mirzoevae'' (Gabrieljan) K.Perss. * ''

Colchicum montanum ''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a genus of perennial flowering plants containing around 160 species which grow from bulb-like corms. It is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coa ...

'' L. * '' Colchicum multiflorum'' Brot. * '' Colchicum munzurense'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum nanum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum neapolitanum'' (Ten.) Ten. * '' Colchicum parlatoris'' Orph. * '' Colchicum parnassicum'' Sart., Orph. & Heldr. in P.E.Boissier * '' Colchicum paschei'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum peloponnesiacum'' Rech.f. & P.H.Davis * '' Colchicum persicum'' Baker * '' Colchicum polyphyllum'' Boiss. & Heldr. in P.E.Boissier * '' Colchicum pulchellum'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum pusillum'' Sieber * '' Colchicum raddeanum'' (Regel) K.Perss. * '' Colchicum rausii'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum ritchii'' R.Br. * ''

Colchicum robustum ''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a genus of perennial flowering plants containing around 160 species which grow from bulb-like corms. It is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coa ...

'' (Bunge) Stef. * '' Colchicum sanguicolle'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum schimperi'' Janka ex Stef. * '' Colchicum serpentinum'' Woronow ex Miscz. * '' Colchicum sfikasianum'' Kit Tan & Iatroú * '' Colchicum sieheanum'' Hausskn. ex Stef. * '' Colchicum soboliferum'' (C.A.Mey.) Stef. * ''

Colchicum speciosum ''Colchicum'' ( or ) is a genus of perennial flowering plants containing around 160 species which grow from bulb-like corms. It is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coas ...

'' Steven * ''

Colchicum stevenii ''Colchicum stevenii'', or Steven's meadow saffron, is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. Hebrew: סתוונית היורה, Arabic: سَراجُ الغولة, سُورَنْجان Description Perennial. Corm oblong, tu ...

'' Kunth * '' Colchicum szovitsii'' Fisch. & C.A.Mey. * '' Colchicum trigynum'' (Steven ex Adam) Stearn * '' Colchicum triphyllum'' Kunze * '' Colchicum troodi'' Kotschy in F.Unger & C.G.T.Kotschy * '' Colchicum tunicatum'' Feinbrun * '' Colchicum turcicum'' Janka * '' Colchicum tuviae'' Feinbrun * '' Colchicum umbrosum'' Steven * '' Colchicum varians'' (Freyn & Bornm.) Dyer in B.D.Jackson * '' Colchicum variegatum'' L. * '' Colchicum wendelboi'' K.Perss. * '' Colchicum woronowii'' Bokeriya * '' Colchicum zahnii'' Heldr.

References

Sources

* Suite 101. Plants and Bulbs: Hardy Fall-Blooming Bulbs for Your Garden
Veseys: Information for gardeners
* A Handbook of Crocus and Colchicum for Gardeners, Bowles, E. A., D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1952 * The European Garden Flora: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass, Volume 1, Walters, S. M., et al., editors, Cambridge University Press, 1984 {{Authority control Colchicaceae genera Medicinal plants