Colchicum speciosum

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Liliales

Familia: Colchicaceae
Tribus: Colchiceae
Genus: Colchicum
Species: Colchicum speciosum
Name

Colchicum speciosum Steven, Observ. Pl. Ross. 2: 69 (1824).
Synonyms

Heterotypic
Colchicum latifolium Griseb., Spic. Fl. Rumel. 2: 378 (1846), nom. illeg.
Colchicum bornmuelleri Freyn, Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 7: 319 (1889).
Colchicum speciosum var. lenkoranicum Miscz., Fl. Caucas. Crit. 2: 108 (1901).
Colchicum giganteum S.Arn., Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 32: 435 (1902).
Colchicum hyrcanicum Woronow, Herb. Fl. Cauc.: 62 (1914), nom. nud.
Colchicum lenkoranicum (Miscz.) Grossh., Fl. Kavkaza 1: 191 (1928).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Asie
Regional: Southwestern Asie
Iran; North Caucasus; Transcaucasus; Turkey

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Steven, C. v., 1824. Observationes in Plantas Rossicas et descriptiones specierum novarum 2: 69.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Colchicum speciosum in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 October 22. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2019. Colchicum speciosum. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 October 22. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Colchicum speciosum. Published online. Accessed: October 22 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Colchicum speciosum. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 October 22.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Colchicum speciosum in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.

Vernacular names

Colchicum speciosum[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae, native to mountainous areas of northern Turkey, the Caucasus and northern Iran. Growing to 18 cm (7 in) tall by 10 cm (4 in) wide, it is an herbaceous perennial growing from corms. C. speciosum blooms in the fall, producing reddish/violet flowers on stems up to 30 centimetres (12 in) tall without any leaves present. The strap-like leaves grow in the spring, then yellow, wither and die back as summer progresses. The flowers strongly resemble those of the crocus, the familiar spring-flowering bulb; hence the common name autumn crocus which is applied to this and other colchicum species. However the two genera belong to different families;[2][3] and there is in fact an autumn-flowering crocus species, Crocus sativus, the source of the spice saffron. By contrast, all parts of Colchicum speciosum are toxic if ingested.[4]
Cultivation

Colchicum speciosum is a vigorous grower and does well in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soils in most climates. It is valued in gardens for its late flowering at the end of summer and into autumn.[2]

Cultivars include the white 'Album'[5] and the amethyst-purple ‘Atrorubens’[6] which have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017).[7]

C. speciosum close-up

C. speciosum var. bornmuelleri close-up

C. speciosum 'Album' clump

References

World checklist of selected families
RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
Steven, Christian von. 1829. Nouveau Mémoires de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou 7: 265, t. 15.
"Colchicum speciosum". RHS. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
"RHS Plant Selector - Colchicum speciosum 'Album'". Retrieved 15 April 2020.
"RHS Plantfinder - Crocus speciosum 'Atrorubens'". Retrieved 30 January 2018.
"AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 22. Retrieved 24 January 2018.