Colchicum

Colchicum (/ˈkɒltʃɪkəm/ KOL-chik-əm or /ˈkɒlkɪkəm/ KOL-kik-əm) is a genus of perennial flowering plants with about 160 different species. These plants grow from bulb-like structures called corms. They belong to the family known as Colchicaceae.

You can find Colchicum plants naturally in places like West Asia, Europe, along the Mediterranean coast, down the East African coast, all the way to South Africa and the Western Cape. One special feature of these flowers is that their ovary stays underground, which makes their styles very long—sometimes more than 10 centimeters or 4 inches!

It's important to know that all Colchicum plants are toxic, so they should be handled with care.

Common names

The common names autumn crocus, meadow saffron, and naked lady refer to the whole genus of Colchicum or many of its species. These names describe the "naked" crocus-like flowers that bloom in late summer or autumn, before the leaves appear in spring.

Colchicum and Crocus look similar and can be confused, especially since some crocuses also flower in autumn. However, colchicums have 3 styles and 6 stamens, while crocuses have 1 style with 3 long stigmas and 3 stamens. Additionally, the corm structures differ—in Colchicum, the corm is irregular, whereas in crocuses, it is like a flattened ball. Crocus belongs to the iris family, Iridaceae.

Etymology

The name "Colchicum" comes from the word "Colchis," which was the Ancient Greek name for a region called კოლხეთი (Kolkhida) in what is now Georgia. In Greek stories, Colchis is famous because it is where the Argonauts traveled to find the Golden Fleece. The name Colchis may have originally come from an older language called Urartian.

Relationships

Colchicum melanthioides, also known as Androcymbium melanthioides, is one of the most well-known species from tropical areas. Unlike many colchicums that grow in cooler climates, this plant produces both its flowers and leaves at the same time. Its white flowers usually appear in a small group and are protected by white bracts. Other close relatives, such as Colchicum scabromarginatum and Colchicum coloratum, have flowers with very short stalks and might be pollinated by rodents.

Cultivation

Temperate colchicums are popular in gardens because they are beautiful ornamental flowers. Some common species you can find in gardens include C. autumnale, C. speciosum, and C. tenorei, along with special hybrids and cultivars like 'Dick Trotter' and 'Poseidon'.

Some of these special varieties have won awards from the Royal Horticultural Society for being great garden plants. In the United Kingdom, a big collection of colchicums is kept at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk.

Medicinal uses and poisonous properties

Plants in the Colchicum genus contain a substance called colchicine, which doctors use to help treat illnesses like gout and Familial Mediterranean fever. People have used the roots and seeds of these plants in traditional medicine because of this helpful property.

However, the leaves, corm, and seeds of Colchicum plants are poisonous. It is important to handle these plants with care and not eat any part of them.

Species

The genus Colchicum includes around 160 different species of flowering plants. Many of these species were previously part of other groups but were moved to Colchicum after scientists studied their genes.

Some of the species in this group are:

Colchicum × agrippinum
Colchicum alpinum
Colchicum androcymbioides
Colchicum antepense
Colchicum autumnale
Colchicum balansae
Colchicum bivonae
Colchicum bulbocodium
Colchicum chalcedonicum
Colchicum confusum

These plants grow from bulb-like structures called corms and are found in many parts of the world, including West Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa.