Colchicum

plant genus

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Colchicum, genus of flowering plants in the family Colchicaceae, consisting of about 30 species of herbs native to Eurasia. The stemless, crocuslike flowers bloom in autumn, and some are variously called autumn crocus and meadow saffron. The fruit is a three-valved capsule that ripens in the spring when the leaves appear. In some species the leaves arise from the ground, with the flowers, in autumn. Several species are cultivated as ornamentals for their pink, white, or bluish purple tubelike flowers, especially C. autumnale, C. bornmuelleri, and C. speciosum. The swollen underground stem of C. autumnale contains colchicine, a substance used to relieve the pain of gout.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by William L. Hosch.