Colchicum Graecum

''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 coast, down the East African coast to South Africa and the Western Cape. In this genus, the ovary of the flower 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-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 stamens, while crocuses have 1 style and 3 stamens. In addition, the corm structures are quite different—in ''Colchicum'', the corm is irregular, while in crocuses, the corm is like a flattened ball. '' Crocus'' is in the iris family, Iridaceae.

Etymology

The name of the genus derives from Κολχίς ( Colchis), the Ancient Greek name for the region of კოლხეთი (Kolkhida) in modern Georgia ( Caucasus). Colchis features in Greek mythology as the land to which the Argonauts journeyed in quest of the golden fleece and where Jason encountered Medea. The Greek toponym ''Colchis'' is thought by scholars to derive from the Urartian ''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 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 rodents.

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 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's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017).

In the United Kingdom, the National Collection of colchicums is maintained at Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk.

Medicinal uses and poisonous properties

Plants in this genus contain toxic amounts of the alkaloid colchicine which is used pharmaceutically to treat gout and Familial Mediterranean fever. The use of the roots and seeds in traditional medicine is thought to have arisen due to the presence of this drug.

Its leaves, corm and seeds are poisonous. Murderer Catherine Wilson 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 evidence. '' Androcymbium'' is currently considered a separate genus by some.

* ''Colchicum'' × ''agrippinum'' (probably a hybrid of garden origin)
* ''Colchicum alpinum'' 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'' 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'' 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'' 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'' 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'' 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'' Kosanin
* '' Colchicum macrophyllum'' B.L.Burtt
* '' Colchicum manissadjianii'' (Azn.) K.Perss.
* '' Colchicum micaceum'' K.Perss.
* ''Colchicum micranthum'' Boiss.
* ''Colchicum minutum'' K.Perss.
* '' Colchicum mirzoevae'' (Gabrieljan) K.Perss.
* ''Colchicum montanum'' 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'' (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'' Steven
* ''Colchicum stevenii'' 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

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Colchicaceae genera
Medicinal plants