What does colchicum mean?
Colchicum is a genus of cormous perennial plants in the family Colchicaceae, best known through the species Colchicum autumnale, commonly called autumn crocus or meadow saffron. Native to Europe and parts of Asia, these plants produce showy pink, purple, or white, crocus-like flowers in autumn, often on bare stems before their broad leaves emerge — a habit that has earned them the affectionate name 'naked ladies'. Despite the resemblance, colchicums are not true crocuses, which belong to an unrelated family. The word is used chiefly in botanical and gardening contexts, where colchicums are valued as ornamentals for brightening borders and lawns late in the season. The plant carries serious cautionary weight as well: every part contains colchicine, a potent and potentially lethal toxin, which distinguishes it sharply from edible saffron and makes accurate identification a matter of safety as much as beauty.
nounA cormous flowering plant of the genus Colchicum, native to Europe and Asia, bearing pink, purple, or white crocus-like flowers that typically bloom in autumn; also called autumn crocus or meadow saffron.
- Any cormous plant of the genus Colchicum in the family Colchicaceae, especially Colchicum autumnale, known for autumn-blooming, crocus-like flowers on leafless stems.
"The meadow was speckled with pale pink colchicums long after the summer flowers had faded."
"She planted drifts of colchicum beneath the old apple trees so the lawn would bloom again each September."
"Gardeners prize colchicum for its curious habit of pushing up flowers before any leaves appear, earning it the nickname 'naked lady'."
The anglicized plural 'colchicums' is standard in general and horticultural use; the Latin-style 'colchica' occasionally appears in technical botany but is uncommon.
"Naturalized colchicums spread slowly under the orchard trees, blooming anew each autumn."
Its common name is 'meadow saffron', but eating it could kill you — colchicum contains colchicine, the same poison that made ancient physicians both fear and revere the plant.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colchicum
Colchicum derives from Latin colchicum (herba), meaning 'herb of Colchis', referring to the ancient region of Colchis at the eastern end of the Black Sea (modern Georgia), famed in Greek myth as the home of Medea and a source of potent medicinal plants. The Latin name passed into botanical nomenclature, where Linnaeus adopted it as the formal genus name. Its most notable linguistic descendant is the alkaloid name colchicine, extracted from the plant and used to treat gout.
How colchicum is actually used
A somewhat formal, botanical term used mainly in gardening, horticulture, and scientific writing; in casual speech gardeners more often say 'autumn crocus' or 'meadow saffron'. Because of the plant's toxicity, references to colchicum frequently carry cautionary connotations in medical and horticultural contexts.
Easily confused with colchicum
Despite its common name 'autumn crocus', colchicum belongs to the family Colchicaceae and is not a true crocus (family Iridaceae); unlike true crocus, all parts of colchicum are highly toxic.
The saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) yields edible saffron threads, whereas colchicum ('meadow saffron') is poisonous and produces no usable spice.