Colchicaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes 15 genera with a total of about 285 known species.
the genus COLCHICUM
Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron, or naked ladies, is a poisonous plant. The name "naked ladies" comes from the fact that the flowers emerge from the ground long before the leaves appear. Despite the vernacular name of "meadow saffron", this plant is not the source of saffron, which is obtained from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus – and that plant too is sometimes called "autumn crocus".
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AUTUMN CROCUS, MEADOW SAFFRON, naked lady flower on myrtle leaves
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALECOLCHICACEAE FAMILY |
a comparison of 2 autumn flowering, autumn CROCUSes from different families
Meadow saffron and saffron crocus are both autumn flowering crocus, but of differing families. We get the saffron used in cooking from the saffron crocus (crocus sativus)Note, the colchium has an irregularly shaped corm and the crocus used for saffron has a symmetrically shaped corm. Colchium is a perennial herb with leaves up to 25 cm (10 in) long. The flowers are solitary, 4–7 cm (2–3 in) across, with six tepals and six stamens with orange anthers and three white styles. Crocuses have 3 stamens and 3 styles.
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| SAFFRON CROCUS CROCUS SATIVUS IRIDACEAE FAMILY KOHLER'S MEDIZINAL PFLANZ FRANZ EUGEN KOHLER, 1897 (Source of saffron spice) |
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COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE
OTTO WILHELM THOME 1885, GERA, GERMANY
FLORA VON DEUTSCHLAND,
OSTERREICH UND DER SCHWEIZ (Contains colchine, a drug) |
the genus Baeometra
[as Melanthium uniflorum Jacq.]
t. 450 (1786-1793)
Table 1: Genera of the Colchicaceae Family
2019 Grassroots Horticulture
