Colchicum autumnale, family: Colchicaceae
commonly called autumn crocus or meadow saffron, is a cormous perennial that typical blooms in early fall. Plants send up only foliage (5-8 lanceolate dark green leaves to 10" long) in spring. Foliage gradually yellow and dies by early summer when the plants go dormant. Naked flower stem (1-6 stems per sheath) rise from the ground to 6-10” tall in late summer to early fall, each stem bearing a star-shaped, pink flower. Fall flowers have no foliage, hence the sometimes used additional common name of naked ladies for this plant. Medicinal colchicum and colchicine come from the corms and seeds. The common name of autumn crocus somewhat misleading because autumn crocus (Colchicaceae family but formerly included in Liliaceae family) is not closely related to spring crocus (Iridaceae family). Among the differences, the flowers of autumn crocus have six stamens and the flowers of spring crocus have three stamens.
Facts
Colchicine , an alkaloid is extracted from root and corms of Colchicum autumnale, when applied in low concentration to the growing tips of the plants it will induce polyploidy. Surprisingly it does not affect the source plant Colchicum, due to presence of anticolchicine.
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