Colchicum 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.
Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron, or naked ladies, is a toxic autumn-blooming flowering plant that resembles the true crocuses, but is a member of the plant family Colchicaceae, unlike the true crocuses, which belong to the family Iridaceae. The name "naked ladies" is because the flowers emerge from the ground long before the leaves appear. Despite the vernacular name of "meadow saffron", this plant is not the source of saffron, which is obtained from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus – and that plant, too, is sometimes called "autumn crocus".
Medemia argun is a rare species of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) native to Egypt and Sudan. It is the only species in the genus Medemia. The palm's dried dates have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs.
Roscheria is an endangered, monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family. The genus is named for Albrecht Roscher, a 19th-century German explorer, and the epithet for its single species R. melanochaetes derives from Latin and Greek meaning 'black' and 'bristle', alluding to the spines covering the trunks. They naturally occur on the Mahé and Silhouette Islands of Seychelles where they grow in mountainous rainforest and are threatened by habitat loss.
Satranala decussilvae is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is a palm endemic to Madagascar. It is the only species in the genus Satranala, and is threatened by habitat loss. There are perhaps 200 mature individuals remaining.
Tetrataxis is a genus of plant in family Lythraceae. The sole species is Tetrataxis salicifolia. It is endemic to Mauritius. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.
Sternbergia is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae.
Colchicum × agrippinum is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. It is considered to be a hybrid between C. variegatum and C. autumnale, and not a true species, although this is not certain. The genus and the species are commonly called autumn crocus, naked lady or meadow saffron.
Colchicum cilicicum, the Tenore autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the Colchicaceae family. A bulbous perennial, it bears deep rose-lilac flowers in late summer, with barely any chequered pattern on the petals (tessellation). It has a very noticeable white stripe down the centre of each petal, which gives it a star-like appearance at the base. The flowers tend to stand up to weather better than other colchicum blooms. The flowers appear before the strap-like leaves, giving this and other colchicum species the common name “naked lady”. Although colchicums are called “autumn crocuses” they belong to a different family than true crocuses. There are in fact autumn-flowering species of crocus such as Crocus sativus, which is the source of the spice saffron. Colchicum cilicicum, by contrast, is toxic if eaten.
Colchicum macrophyllum has large, funnel-shaped flowers in the fall with much tessellation throughout the bloom. The colour is rosy-purple and white. The leaves that it produces in the spring are large, up to 16" (40 cm) long, among the largest of all colchicum species.
Colchicum kotschyi is a species of flowering plant in the Colchicaceae family. It is native to Iran, Iraq and Turkey. It blooms relatively early for an autumn flowering colchicum, as early as August. The flowers open to a pink-purple colour, but white flowered specimens are common in the wild. The plant reaches up to 2 m (6") tall and grows well in sunny, warm locations.
Colchicum laetum is a species of Colchicum found in south east Russia through to the Caucasus.
Colchicum baytopiorum is a plant species native to western Turkey and to the Greek Island of Rhodes. It has small, bright pink-purple flowers measuring 4 cm (1.5") across. It is unusual in the genus in producing small leaves in autumn while in bloom, as opposed to producing leaves in spring. It has a chromosome number of 46, 54 or 108. The species was named in honor of Turkish botanist Asuman Baytop.
Colchicum cupanii is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae, known as the Mediterranean meadow saffron. It grows around much of the central Mediterranean Basin, reported from France, Sardinia, Italy, Albania, Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, Sicily, Algeria, Malta and Tunisia.
Colchicum lingulatum is a species of flowering plant in the Colchicaceae family. It is native to north-western Turkey and to Greece.
Colchicum micranthum is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. It is native to Turkey with nearly white flowers barely 2 cm (.75") tall. It produces a series of blooms throughout the fall. The leaves follow the flowers, and are usually 3–5 in number.
Colchicum bulbocodium, the spring meadow saffron, is a species of alpine bulbous plant native to mountain ranges across Europe from the Pyrenees to the Caucasus.
Colchicum ritchii, or the Egyptian autumn crocus, is a plant species native to the southeastern Mediterranean east to the Arabian Peninsula.
Galium corsicum, the Corsican bedstraw, is a plant species in the Rubiaceae. It is native to the islands of Corsica and Sardinia in the Mediterranean.
