I20 A COMPENDIUM OF 
Colchici, Colchicum, Colchicum Autum- 
nale.—Natural order Melanthacee. Common 
name Meadow Saffron. This perennial tuber- 
ous or bulbous plant is indigenous to central 
and southern Europe, and usually found grow- 
ing wild in moist meadows. The plant attains 
the height of several feet, and is not unlike the 
tulips of our gardens in general character; the 
leaves are narrow, lance-shaped, and generally 
about 12 inches (25 millimeters) long, very 
green and shining. The flowers are purple in 
color, and appear after the leaves; they have 6 
stamens, inserted into the throat of each tubular 
flower; the anthers are extrorse, throwing the 
pollen outside, and thus differ from the common 
crocus; the pistils number 3, and the capsules 
are many-seeded. Of the fruit or seed we will 
speak further on, and under the proper head. 
The corm or bulb is somewhat flat, inclining to 
the ovoidal in its outlines, and grooved on one 
side; in length about 1 inch (25 millimeters), 
more or less; in breadth at the base, 1 or more 
inches. Externally the color is of a light- 
brown; internally it is very compact and white; 
when cut transversely the slice is kidney-shaped, 
and it shows many scattered and woody bun- 
dles and some resin cells. It is very hard to 
break, but when broken the fracture is granular 
andabrupt. Thecolchicum root is usually gath- 
ered about the last of June, and is dried at a 
temperature of about 150 degrees. After the 
curing itis cut transversely, and in this shape 
finds its way into the commercial world. Col- 
chicum contains sugar, starch, gum, fat, and 
resin, and also an active principle called Col- 
