COLCHICUM, kol'kl-kiim (Lat., from Gk. KoXxLE6c, Poled ikon. the poisonous meadow-saf fron). A genus of plants of the natural order Liliacea?, native to Europe and to the idediter ranmn region. The species. of which there are about thirty, are stemless, with flowers half sub terranean like the croons, only the limb of the perianth and part of the tube rising above ground. The flowers much resemble crocus-flowers. The only British species is Colchicum autunmale, the meadow-saffron, sometimes also, but incorrectly, named autumn en)cus, which is plentiful in meadows and pastures in some parts of England and of the Continent of Europe. The flowers are pale purple; they appear in autumn unaccom panied by any leaves; the leaves, which are large and broadly lanceolate. appear in spring, when the stalk which hears the ripening fruit rises among them. The whole plant is very acrid and poisonous, chiefly owing to the presence of colchicine. Cattle are not infrequently injured by it in pastures where it abounds. it is, how
ever, not difficult to extirpate, the repeated pull ing of it by hand, as it appears above ground, being sufficient for this purpose; the roots soon become exhausted and die. Tt is a valuable medicinal plant, the parts chiefly used for medicinal purposes being the corm (popularly called the root) and the seeds. The seeds are round, brown. and rather larger than mustard seed ; and fatal accidents have occurred from their poisonous nature. Other species of Col chicum appear to possess similar properties. (See CotcnICINE.) Colchicum autumnale is common in flower borders. and a number of other species are employed in the same manner. Iirost of the species are autumn-blooming, a few flowering in spring along with the crocuses, snowdrops, etc. Colchicum lute= is one of the finest of spring-flowering species, and Colchicum Parkinsoni, Colchicum speeiosum, and Colchicum autumn:11e of autumn-blooming species. For il lustration, see Plate of CORNFLOWER.