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Colchicum

File:Colchicum_speciosum000.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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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.

OverviewAI-generated

Colchicum is a genus within the plant kingdom, classified under the phylum Tracheophyta and the family Colchicaceae. It belongs to the order Liliales and the class Liliopsida, although the class Magnoliopsida is also listed in some taxonomic records. The scientific name is Colchicum L., and the genus is currently accepted. In certain contexts, it is referred to by the common name tidlausslekta.

Records for this genus are held by various institutions, including those designated as US, MO, MEL, B, and CM. Documented occurrences have been noted in countries such as Switzerland, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, and Algeria. The genus is the subject of 420 entries in PubMed and has 240,580 occurrence records in GBIF. Additionally, 287 records and 200 media items are available through iDigBio.

Synthesized by Vinony from 29 facts across 7 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, PubMed, Gbif Occ, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

tidlausslekta

Colchicum

GENUS

  1. KingdomPlantae
  2. PhylumTracheophyta
  3. ClassLiliopsida
  4. OrderLiliales
  5. FamilyColchicaceae
Observations recorded240,580

via GBIF

Museum specimens

Specimen records
287
With media
200
Family
Colchicaceae
Collections
US, MO, MEL, B, CM
Recorded in
Switzerland, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Algeria, France, Iraq, Spain

~8 min read

Encyclopedic overview

8 sections
Contents
  • Common names
  • Etymology
  • Relationships
  • Cultivation
  • Medicinal uses and poisonous properties
  • Species
  • References
  • Sources

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.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Colchicum” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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