''Colchicum hungaricum'', commonly known as the Hungarian crocus, is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the genus ''

Colchicum ''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 ...

''. It is distinguished by its white to pinkish-lilac flowers that emerge in very early spring.

Distribution and habitat

Although ''C. hungaricum'' is known from several countries of the

Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

—including Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Bulgaria and Greece—the Hungarian population represents the species’ northernmost and most isolated occurrence. In Hungary, it is confined to a single locality on Szársomlyó Hill (also known as Harsányi Hill) in the Villány Mountains. This area is characterised by a karst limestone grassland and bushy steppe habitat, where a warm, south-facing microclimate prevails. The shallow Rendzina soils of the slope heat rapidly, creating conditions that support Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean elements within the flora. Although early botanical work suggested that the species was

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Hungary, subsequent surveys have confirmed its presence throughout the Balkan Peninsula. The Hungarian population is now regarded as a

relict A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon. Biology A relict (or relic) is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas. Geology and geomorphology In geology, a r ...

—a surviving remnant of a warmer climatic period. Some botanists posit that it may date back to the

Riss Riss or RISS may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Riss (cartoonist), French cartoonist, author and publisher Laurent Sourisseau (born 1966), majority owner of the satirical newspaper ''Charlie Hebdo'' * Dan Riss (1910–1970), American actor * Erik R ...

and

Würm glaciation The Würm glaciation or Würm stage ( or ''Würm-Glazial'', colloquially often also ''Würmeiszeit'' or ''Würmzeit''; cf. ice age), usually referred to in the literature as the Würm (often spelled "Wurm"), was the last glacial period in the ...

s, while others suggest a

Tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...

origin, thus rendering it one of the last vestiges of the

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

vegetation that once dominated the region.

Ecology

Recent research has shed light on an intriguing ecological association involving ''C. hungaricum''. Studies conducted in Hungary have documented that the plant serves as a food source for the moth '' Cnephasia chrysantheana''.

Larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e have been observed feeding on both the leaves and the flowers of the plant, thereby expanding the known range of host plants for this tortricid moth and offering new insights into its

bionomics Bionomics (Greek: bio = life; nomos = law) has two different meanings: * the first is the comprehensive study of an organism and its relation to its environment. As translated from the French word ''Bionomie'', its first use in English was in the ...

Conservation

''Colchicum hungaricum'' has been afforded legal protection in Hungary since 1979, and each specimen is attributed a high conservation value. The species is also listed among the endangered elements of the Hungarian flora. The sole Hungarian locality is situated within a strictly regulated natural area—accessible only with a permit—to safeguard the habitat from threats such as

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

mining and other forms of

habitat degradation Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

Taxonomy

The species was first described in 1886 by the Hungarian botanist Viktor Janka after his discovery on the southern slopes of the Villány Mountains in Hungary. The

epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

''hungaricum'' was originally chosen to highlight the plant's discovery in Hungary.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1162384 hungaricum Flora of Hungary Garden plants Plants described in 1886 Flora of Albania Flora of Croatia Flora of Bosnia and Herzegovina Flora of Bulgaria