Colchicum L.

16. Colchicum L. 2

Perennial herbs; stock a corm, occasionally stoloniferous, enclosed by tunics which are frequently extended into a neck above the corm. Flowers solitary or in fascicles, each subtended by a small bract and very shortly pedicellate, purple, pink or white, sometimes with alternating squares of dark and light colour (tessellated). Perianth of two rows of equal or subequal segments united below into a long, narrow tube. Stamens inserted near the base of the perianth-segments, usually in two rows; anthers versatile; filaments slender, frequently thickened at the base. Styles 3, free. Ovary subterranean. Fruit a septicidal capsule, maturing at or just above ground-level. Seeds numerous.

A taxonomically difficult genus, particularly in respect of those species which flower in autumn and do not produce their leaves until late winter or spring. Many herbarium specimens of such species are of flowering material only and are difficult to determine.

Several of the characters traditionally used to distinguish species may prove unreliable when used alone, particularly the presence or absence of cilia or hairs on the leaves and the colour of the anthers; both of these can vary within a single population of certain species but are diagnostic in others.

Literature: B. Stefanov, Shorn. Balg. Akad. Nauk. 22: 1-99 (1926). 1 Leaves at least partly developed at anthesis

2 Corm with underground stolons 6. psaridis 2 Corm not stoloniferous

3 Tunic membranous, evanescent; leaves with scabrid or glabrous margins 1. triphyllum 3 Tunic coriaceous to membranous, persistent; leaves with ciliate or glabrous margins

4 Leaves 3-18, 1—4(—5) mm wide, narrowly linear

5. pusillum 4 Leaves 2 or 3, linear-lanceolate, at least 7 mm wide on well-developed plants

5 Leaves usually 2, glabrous, rarely sparsely ciliate at base; flowering September-December 4. cupanii 5 Leaves 2 or 3, ciliate, often hairy on dorsal surface; flowering December-April

6 Leaves usually 3; filaments hairy at least below; tunic coriaceous, ribbed 2. burttii 6 Leaves usually 2; filaments glabrous; tunics papery, smooth 3. hungaricum 1 Leaves undeveloped at anthesis (rarely beginning to appear as the flowers fade)

7 Stigmas punctiform

8 Corm with underground stolons 7. boissieri 8 Corm not stoloniferous

9 Tunic coriaceous; leaves (4-)6-8(-10), not more than

4 mm wide, linear to narrowly linear 8. parlatoris 9 Tunic membranous to subcoriaceous; leaves 2-5, up to

17 mm wide, linear-lanceolate or ligulate

10 Leaves 3-5; 8-20 cm; flowers 1-4; perianth-segments 25-40x3-10 mm 9. arenarium 10 Leaves 2(-3), 8-12(-15)cm; flowers l(-3); perianthsegments 17-30 x4-6(-10) mm 10. alpinum 7 Stigmas decurrent

11 Flowers not tessellated

12 Flowers deep crimson-purple, occasionally paler; leaves glaucous, ciliate 19. turcicum 12 Flowers pink to purplish or white; leaves neither glaucous nor ciliate

13 Anthers black 20. callicymbium

13 Anthers yellow 14 Stigma decurrent for not more than 0-5 mm

15 Tunic ±coriaceous; flowers (1—)2—6; leaves ligulate

13. umbrosum

15 Tunic membranous; flowers 1-2(3); leaves linearlanceolate to lanceolate, tapering towards the apex

11. corsicum 14 Stigma decurrent for at least 1 mm

16 Leaves 2(—3); perianth-segments 10-20(-30) mm

12. micranthum

16 Leaves 3 or more; perianth-segments usually at least

30 mm (14-18). autumnale group 11 Flowers ± tessellated 17 Pollen green; leaves up to 35 cmx 140 mm, strongly plicate, ovate to elliptic-ovate 21. macrophyllum 17 Pollen yellow; leaves usually not more than 30 cmx 60

mm, not plicate 18 Perianth infundibuliform; segments tapering gradually to apex and often twisted 22. variegatum 18 Perianth narrowly campanulate to broadly campanulate;

segments shortly acute to rounded at apex, not or slightly twisted 19 Leaves glaucous, cibate; flowers obscurely tessellated;

deep crimson-purple, occasionally paler 19. turcicum 19 Leaves neither glaucous nor cibate; flowers obscurely or strongly tessellated; pink to purplish or white

20 Flowers ± strongly tessellated 23. bivonae

20 Flowers narrowly campanulate, lightly tessellated

(14-18). autumnale group