Colchicum autumnale, commonly called autumn crocus or meadow saffron, is a cormous perennial that typically blooms in early fall. Plants send up only foliage 5-8 lanceolate dark green leaves to 10` long in spring. Foliage gradually yellows and dies by early summer when the plants go dormant. Naked flower stems 1-6 stems per sheath rise from the ground to 6-10” tall in late summer to early fall, each stem bearing a star-shaped, lavender-pink to lilac-pink flower. Fall flowers have no foliage, hence the sometimes used additional common name of naked ladies for this plant. Medicinal colchicum and colchicine come from the corms and seeds. The common name of autumn crocus is somewhat misleading because autumn crocus Colchicaceae family but formerly included in Liliaceae family is not closely related to spring crocus Iridaceae family. Among the differences, the flowers of autumn crocus have six stamens and the flowers of spring crocus have three stamens.

圖片編號： 232332846
拍攝者： Adymoab