| Colchicum | |
|---|---|
| |
| Colchicum speciosum | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Liliales |
| Family: | Colchicaceae |
| Genus: | Colchicum L. |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Colchicum (/ˈkɒltʃɪkəm/ KOL-chik-əm or /ˈkɒlkɪkəm/ KOL-kik-əm)[2] 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 10 cm (4 in). All species in the genus are toxic.[3]
- ^ "WCSP". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- ^ "Colchicum - Define Colchicum at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.com.
- ^ Barceloux, Donald G. (2008). Medical Toxicology of Natural Substances: Foods, Fungi, Medicinal Herbs, Plants, and Venomous Animals. Wiley. pp. 693–702. ISBN 978-0471727613.