Aconitum, also known as aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, devil's helmet, or blue rocket, is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Ranunculaceae. These herbaceous perennial plants are chiefly native to the mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia, growing in the moisture-retentive but well-draining soils of mountain meadows.
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.
Colchicaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes 15 genera with a total of about 285 known species according to Christenhusz and Byng in 2016.
Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron, naked boys 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. It is called "naked boys/ladies" 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".
Aichryson is a genus of about 15 species of succulent, subtropical plants, mostly native to the Canary Islands, with a few in the Azores, Madeira and Morocco.
Epimedium, also known as barrenwort, bishop's hat, fairy wings, horny goat weed, or yin yang huo, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Berberidaceae. The majority of the species are endemic to China, with smaller numbers elsewhere in Asia, and a few in the Mediterranean region.
Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron crocus or autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the iris family Iridaceae. A cormous autumn-flowering cultivated perennial, unknown in the wild, it is best known for the culinary use of its floral stigmas as the spice saffron. Human cultivation of saffron crocus and the trade and use of saffron have endured for more than 3,500 years and span different cultures, continents, and civilizations.
Polygonatum odoratum, the angular Solomon's seal or scented Solomon's seal, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, the Russian Far East, China, Mongolia, Korea, Nepal and Japan. In the United Kingdom it is one of three native species of the genus, the others being P. multiflorum and P. verticillatum.
Equisetum variegatum, commonly known as variegated horsetail or variegated scouring rush, is a species of vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae. It is native to the Northern Hemisphere where it has a circumpolar distribution.
Catabrosa is a small but widespread genus of plants in the grass family native to temperate areas of Eurasia, the Americas, and a few places in Africa.
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 boisseri is a plant species in the genus Colchicum native to southern Greece and south-western Turkey but cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental. The species is unique for its spreading, rhizomatous bulbs. It blooms well with 5 cm (2") blooms in a bright cherry pink. The stamens are yellow. The flowers have no tessellations, only a white line down the centre of each petal. It is named after botanist Pierre Edmond Boissier.
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 lingulatum blooms in early autumn, with pink flowers approximately 3–4 cm in size, with widely spaced petals. The stamens are a prominent yellow. The foliage begins to grow after the flowers.
Colchicum zahnii is a species of plant in the genus Colchicum native to southern Greece. It blooms in mid-autumn from rhizomatous corms. The flowers can be variable coloured, being a pale purple-pink to white and are often held wide open. The leaves are produced at flowering time and usually number 2 to 3. This species is similar to Colchicum boissieri in that the corms grow into large patches, rather than tight clumps like Colchicum speciosum or Colchicum autumnale.
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.
Dipodium variegatum, commonly known as the slender hyacinth-orchid, or blotched hyacinth-orchid, is a leafless mycoheterotrophic orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It forms mycorrhizal relationships with fungi of the genus Russula.
