Colchicum autumnale

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Colchicum autumnale
Illustration Colchicum autumnale0.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Monocots
Order:
Liliales
Family:
Colchicaceae
Genus:
Colchicum
Species:
C. autumnale
Binomial name
Colchicum autumnale
Synonyms[2]
  • Colchicum commune Neck.
  • Bulbocodium antumnale (L.) Lapeyr.
  • Colchicum vernale Hoffm.
  • Colchicum vernum (Reichard) Georgi
  • Colchicum polyanthon Ker Gawl.
  • Colchicum praecox Spenn.
  • Colchicum crociflorum Sims
  • Colchicum orientale Friv. ex Kunth
  • Colchicum autumnale var. viridiflorum Opiz
  • Colchicum pannonicum Griseb. & Schenk
  • Colchicum transsilvanicum Schur
  • Colchicum turcicum subsp. pannonicum (Griseb. & Schenk) Nyman
  • Colchicum bulgaricum Velen.
  • Colchicum borisii Stef.
  • Colchicum vranjanum Adamovic ex Stef.
  • Colchicum doerfleri var. orientale Kitanov
  • Colchicum drenowskii Degen & Rech.f. ex Kitan.
  • Colchicum rhodopaeum Kov.

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Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron[3] or naked lady, is a flower that resembles the true crocuses, but blooms in autumn. (This is not a reliable distinction, however, since many true crocuses flower in autumn.) The name "naked lady" comes from the fact that the flowers emerge from the ground long after the leaves have died back.[4]

The species is commonly cultivated as an ornamental in temperate areas, in spite of its toxicity.

Distribution

Colchicum autumnale is the only species of its genus native to the Great Britain and Ireland,[5][6] with notable populations under the stewardship of the County Wildlife Trusts. It also occurs across mainland Europe from Portugal to Ukraine, and is reportedly naturalized in Denmark, Sweden, European Russia, the Baltic States and New Zealand.[2]

Pharmaceutical uses

The bulb-like corms of Colchicum autumnale contain colchicine, a useful drug with a narrow therapeutic index. Colchicine is approved by the US FDA for the treatment of gout and familial Mediterranean fever. Colchicine is also used in plant breeding to produce polyploid strains. A synthetic chemical compound, called ICT2588, which is similar to one from the autumn crocus, is in the early stages of drug development for the treatment of some types of cancer. In experimental testing it was successfully used to treat breast, bowel, lung and prostate cancers in mice when used in combination with the drug doxorubicin.[7][8]

Toxicity

Colchicum plants have been mistaken by foragers for ramsons, which they vaguely resemble, but are deadly poisonous due to their colchicine content. The symptoms of colchicine poisoning resemble those of arsenic, and no antidote is known.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 341, Colchicum autumnale
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Colchicum autumnale
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Gajic. 1977. Glasnik prirodnaučkog museja u Beogradu, Serija B, Bioloake nauke Nauke 32: 8. Colchicum autumnale
  5. ↑ Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1968. Excursion Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-04656-4
  6. ↑ Parnell, J. and Curtis, T. 2012. Webb's An Irish Flora. Cork University Press. ISBN 978-185918-4783
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

  • Autumn Bulbs by Roy Leeds (B.T. Batsford Ltd) 2006 ISBN 0-7134-8962-6
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