Colchicum

Colchicum
Colchicum
Colchicum speciosum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Colchicaceae
Genus: Colchicum
Species

See text.

Colchicum (play /ˈkɒlɨkəm/)[1] is a genus of flowering plants containing around sixty species of perennial plants which grow from corms. It is a member of family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe and parts of the Mediterranean coast.

Colchicum autumnale, commonly called "autumn crocus" or "naked ladies", is the best known species. It produces purple, pink or white flowers resembling those of the crocus which appear from September to October in its native latitudes. It forms a rosette of dark green leaves, but only after flowering.

Several other species, such as C. speciosum, C. album, C. corsicum and C. agrippinum, are grown for their flowers.

Contents

Cultivation

Commonly grown in gardens as an ornamental flower. The large-flowered doubles are the most commonly sold and include cultivars and hybrids such as ‘Waterlily’ (pink), C. autumnale ‘Alboplenum’ (white) and C. autumnale ‘Pleniflorum' (red).

Other hybrids include 'Disraeli' (purple white), ‘Violet Queen’ (purple), ‘Dick Trotter’ (violet with white centre), ‘Giant’ (red with white centre; C gigantium x C bornmuelleri), ‘Harlekijn’ (white with purple band), ‘Poseidon’ (purple) and ‘Lilac Wonder’ (lilac).

In this genus the ovary of the flower is underground. As a consequence, the styles are extremely long in proportion, often more than 10cm.

In the UK, the National Collection of Colchicums is maintained at Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk.

Medicinal uses and poisonous properties

Its leaves, corm and seeds are poisonous. Murderess Catherine Wilson is thought to have used it to poison a number of victims in the 19th century.

The plant contains the alkaloid colchicine which is used pharmaceutically to treat gout. The use of the roots and seeds in traditional medicine is thought to have arisen due to the presence of this drug.


Species

Hereafter the about 100 Colchicum species according to the World Checklist:[2]

  • Colchicum alpinum DC. in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck & A.P.de Candolle, Fl. Franç., ed. 3, 3: 195 (1805).
  • Colchicum androcymbioides (Valdés) K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 169 (2007).
  • Colchicum antepense K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 169 (2007).
  • Colchicum antilibanoticum Gomb., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 104: 286 (1957).
  • Colchicum arenarium Waldst. & Kit., Descr. Icon. Pl. Hung. 2: 195 (1810).
  • Colchicum arenasii Fridl., Acta Bot. Gallica 146: 158 (1999).
  • Colchicum asteranthum Vassiliades & K.M.Perss., Preslia 74: 57 (2002).
  • Colchicum atticum Spruner ex Tommas., Flora 23: 780 (1840).
  • Colchicum autumnale L., Sp. Pl.: 341 (1753).
  • Colchicum balansae Planch., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., IV, 4: 145 (1855).
  • Colchicum baytopiorum C.D.Brickell, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 41: 49 (1983).
  • Colchicum bivonae Guss., Adnot. Cat. Pl. Bocc.: 4 (1821).
  • Colchicum boissieri Orph., Atti Congr. Int. Bot. Firenze 1874: 31 (1876).
  • Colchicum bornmuelleri Freyn, Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 7: 319 (1889).
  • Colchicum bulbocodium Ker Gawl., Bot. Mag. 26: t. 1028 (1807):
    • Colchicum bulbocodium subsp. bulbocodium.
    • Colchicum bulbocodium var. edentatum (Schur) K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 179 (2007).
    • Colchicum bulbocodium subsp. versicolor (Ker Gawl.) K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 178 (2007).
  • Colchicum burttii Meikle, Bot. Mag. 181: 134 (1977).
  • Colchicum chalcedonicum Azn., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 44: 174 (1897):
    • Colchicum chalcedonicum subsp. chalcedonicum.
    • Colchicum chalcedonicum subsp. punctatum K.Perss., Candollea 53: 405 (1998).
  • Colchicum chimonanthum K.Perss., Pl. Syst. Evol. 217: 56 (1999).
  • Colchicum chlorobasis K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 62: 182 (2005 publ. 2006).
  • Colchicum cilicicum (Boiss.) Dammer, Gard. Chron., III, 23: 34 (1898).
  • Colchicum confusum K.Perss., Pl. Syst. Evol. 217: 60 (1999).
  • Colchicum corsicum Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 17: 481 (1879).
  • Colchicum cretense Greuter, Candollea 22: 246 (1967).
  • Colchicum crocifolium Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. 5: 67 (1844).
  • Colchicum cupanii Guss., Fl. Sicul. Prodr. 1: 452 (1827):
    • Colchicum cupanii subsp. cupanii.
    • Colchicum cupanii subsp. glossophyllum (Heldr.) Rouy, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 52: 646 (1906).
  • Colchicum davisii C.D.Brickell, New Plantsman 5: 15 (1998).
  • Colchicum decaisnei Boiss., Fl. Orient. 5: 157 (1882).
  • Colchicum doerfleri Halácsy, Denkschr. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Wien. Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 64: 742 (1897).
  • Colchicum dolichantherum K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 56: 126 (1999).
  • Colchicum eichleri (Regel) K.Perss., in Fl. Iran. 170: 18 (1992).
  • Colchicum euboeum (Boiss.) K.Perss., Candollea 53: 400 (1998).
  • Colchicum fasciculare (L.) R.Br., Narr. Travels Africa: 243 (1826).
  • Colchicum feinbruniae K.Perss., Israel J. Bot. 41: 75 (1992 publ. 1993).
  • Colchicum figlalii (Varol) Parolly & Eren, Willdenowia 37: 267 (2007).
  • Colchicum filifolium (Cambess.) Stef., Sborn. B'lghar. Akad. Nauk 22: 58 (1926).
  • Colchicum freynii Bornm., Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 7: 172 (1917).
  • Colchicum giganteum S.Arn., Gard. Chron., III, 32: 435 (1902).
  • Colchicum gonarei Camarda, Boll. Soc. Sarda Sci. Nat. 17: 227 (1978).
  • Colchicum graecum K.Perss., Willdenowia 18: 34 (1988).
  • Colchicum greuteri (Gabrieljan) K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 222 (2007).
  • Colchicum haynaldii Heuff., Verh. K. K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 8: 218 (1858).
  • Colchicum heldreichii K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 56: 98 (1999).
  • Colchicum hierosolymitanum Feinbrun, Palestine J. Bot., Jerusalem Ser. 6: 84 (1953).
  • Colchicum hirsutum Stef., Sborn. B'lghar. Akad. Nauk 22: 34 (1926).
  • Colchicum hungaricum Janka, Term. Füz. 10: 75 (1886).
  • Colchicum ignescens K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 191 (2007).
  • Colchicum imperatoris-friderici Siehe ex K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 56: 129 (1999).
  • Colchicum inundatum K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 56: 99 (1999).
  • Colchicum kesselringii Regel, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 8: 646 (1884).
  • Colchicum kotschyi Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. 13: 38 (1854).
  • Colchicum kurdicum (Bornm.) Stef., Sborn. B'lghar. Akad. Nauk 22: 42 (1926).
  • Colchicum laetum Steven, Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 7: 262 (1829).
  • Colchicum lagotum K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 197 (2007).
  • Colchicum leptanthum K.Perss., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 135: 85 (2001).
  • Colchicum lingulatum Boiss. & Spruner in P.E.Boissier, Diagn. Pl. Orient. 5: 66 (1844):
    • Colchicum lingulatum subsp. lingulatum.
    • Colchicum lingulatum subsp. rigescens K.Perss., Candollea 53: 411 (1998).
  • Colchicum longifolium Castagne, Cat. Pl. Marseille: 135 (1845).
  • Colchicum lusitanum Brot., Phytogr. Lusit. Select. 2: 211 (1827).
  • Colchicum luteum Baker, Gard. Chron., n.s., 2: 33 (1874).
  • Colchicum macedonicum Kosanin, Glas Akad. Nauk. & Beogradu 85: 232 (1911).
  • Colchicum macrophyllum B.L.Burtt, Kew Bull. 5: 433 (1950 publ. 1951).
  • Colchicum manissadjianii (Azn.) K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 202 (2007).
  • Colchicum micaceum K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 56: 95 (1999).
  • Colchicum micranthum Boiss., Fl. Orient. 5: 162 (1882).
  • Colchicum minutum K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 56: 90 (1999).
  • Colchicum mirzoevae (Gabrieljan) K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 222 (2007).
  • Colchicum montanum L., Sp. Pl.: 342 (1753).
  • Colchicum multiflorum Brot., Fl. Lusit. 1: 597 (1804).
  • Colchicum munzurense K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 56: 86 (1999).
  • Colchicum nanum K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 206 (2007).
  • Colchicum neapolitanum (Ten.) Ten., Fl. Neapol. Prodr. App. 5: 11 (1826).
  • Colchicum parlatoris Orph., Atti Congr. Int. Bot. Firenze 1874: 82 (1876).
  • Colchicum parnassicum Sart., Orph. & Heldr. in P.E.Boissier, Diagn. Pl. Orient., II, 4: 122 (1859).
  • Colchicum paschei K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 56: 110 (1999).
  • Colchicum peloponnesiacum Rech.f. & P.H.Davis, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 95: 427 (1949).
  • Colchicum persicum Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 17: 430 (1879).
  • Colchicum polyphyllum Boiss. & Heldr. in P.E.Boissier, Diagn. Pl. Orient., II, 4: 121 (1859).
  • Colchicum pulchellum K.Perss., Willdenowia 18: 30 (1988).
  • Colchicum pusillum Sieber, Flora 5: 248 (1822).
  • Colchicum raddeanum (Regel) K.Perss., in Fl. Iran. 170: 22 (1992).
  • Colchicum rausii K.Perss., Pl. Syst. Evol. 217: 58 (1999).
  • Colchicum ritchii R.Br., Narr. Travels Africa, App.: 241 (1826).
  • Colchicum robustum (Bunge) Stef., Sborn. B'lghar. Akad. Nauk 22: 24 (1926).
  • Colchicum sanguicolle K.Perss., Edinburgh J. Bot. 56: 92 (1999).
  • Colchicum schimperi Janka ex Stef., Sborn. B'lghar. Akad. Nauk 22: 31 (1926).
  • Colchicum serpentinum Woronow ex Miscz., in Fl. Cauc. Crit. 3(4): 114 (1912).
  • Colchicum sfikasianum Kit Tan & Iatroú, Rock Gard. 24(3): 255 (1995).
  • Colchicum sieheanum Hausskn. ex Stef., Sborn. B'lghar. Akad. Nauk 22: 47 (1926).
  • Colchicum soboliferum (C.A.Mey.) Stef., Sborn. B'lghar. Akad. Nauk 22: 44 (1926).
  • Colchicum speciosum var Steven, Observ. Pl. Ross. 2: 69 (1824).
  • Colchicum stevenii Kunth, Enum. Pl. 4: 144 (1843).
  • Colchicum szovitsii Fisch. & C.A.Mey., Index Seminum (LE) 1: 24 (1835).
    • Colchicum szovitsii subsp. brachyphyllum (Boiss. & Hausskn.) K.Perss., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127: 221 (2007):
    • Colchicum szovitsii subsp. szovitsii.
  • Colchicum trigynum (Steven ex Adam) Stearn, J. Bot. 72: 344 (1934).
  • Colchicum triphyllum (Kunze), Flora 29: 755 (1846).
  • Colchicum troodi Kotschy in F.Unger & C.G.T.Kotschy, Ins. Cypern: 190 (1865).
  • Colchicum tunicatum Feinbrun, Palestine J. Bot., Jerusalem Ser. 6: 87 (1953).
  • Colchicum turcicum Janka, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 23: 242 (1873).
  • Colchicum tuviae Feinbrun, Palestine J. Bot., Jerusalem Ser. 6: 79 (1953).
  • Colchicum umbrosum Steven, Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 7: 268 (1829).
  • Colchicum varians (Freyn & Bornm.) Dyer in B.D.Jackson, Index Kew., Suppl. 2: 45 (1904).
  • Colchicum variegatum L., Sp. Pl.: 342 (1753).
  • Colchicum wendelboi K.Perss., in Fl. Iran. 170: 19 (1992).
  • Colchicum woronowii Bokeriya, Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 75: 201 (1990).
  • Colchicum zahnii Heldr., Exsicc. (Herb. Graec. Norm.) 1900: 1586 (1900).

Gallery

References

  1. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  2. ^ Colchicum in the World Checklist.

Sources


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Colchicum — Col chi*cum, n. [L., a plant with a poisonous root, fr. Colchicus Colchian, fr. Colchis, Gr. ?, an ancient province in Asia, east of the Black Sea, where was the home of Media the sorceress.] (Bot.) A genus of bulbous rooted plants found in many… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • colchicum — [käl′chi kəm, käl′kikəm] n. [ModL < Gr kolchikon, plant with a poisonous root, after Kolchis,COLCHIS, home of MEDEA] 1. any of a genus (Colchicum) of plants of the lily family, with crocuslike flowers usually blooming in the fall; autumn… …   English World dictionary

  • Colchicum — Colchicum. См. безвременники. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Colchĭcum — (C. L.), Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Melanthaceae Colchiceae, 6. Kl. 3. Ordn. L., mit trichterförmiger, langröhriger, 6spaltiger, gefärbter, einfacher Blüthenhülle, 6 auf den Schlund eingefügten Staubgefäßen, 1 dreifächerigem,… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Colchicum — L. (Zeitlose, Lichtblume), Gattung der Liliazeen, Kräuter mit dicker, von trocknen braunen Hülsen umgebener, meist tief im Boden stecken der Zwiebelknolle, grundständigen, linealischen Blättern, die bei vielen Arten erst im Frühjahr nach der in… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Colchicum — Colchĭcum L., Zeitlose, Pflanzengattg. der Liliazeen. C. autumnāle L. (Herbstzeitlose [Tafel: Giftpflanzen, 6]) auf Wiesen in ganz Europa, treibt im Spätherbst 2 4 blaßrote Blumen aus einer Zwiebel und erst im folgenden Jahre Blätter und Früchte; …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Colchicum — Colchicum, s. Zeitlose …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Colchicum — Zeitlose Herbstzeitlose (Colchicum autumnale) Systematik Abteilung: Bed …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Colchicum — Colchique Colchicum …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Colchicum —   Colchicum …   Wikipedia Español

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