( 17 .) 
CO'LCHICU M * *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Hexa'ndria t, Trigy'nia. 
Xalural Order. MelanthaSce.e, Dr. R. Brown . — Lind. Syn. 
p. 264 ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. p. 272. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 539. — 
Colchica'ce.e, Decandolle. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 401. 
Gex. Char. Calyx none. Corolla ( Perianthium%) of 1 petal, 
tube very long, angular, extending down to the root, and arising 
from a spatha; limb bell-shaped, in 6 deep, elliptical, concave, 
upright segments, the 3 innermost of which are rather the smallest. 
Filaments 6, (see fig. 1.) awl-shaped, inserted into the tube of the 
corolla, shorter than the limb. Anthers oblong, of 2 cells and 
4 valves, peltate, incumbent. Germen imbedded in the root, 
roundish. Styles 3, thread-shaped, as long as the stamens. Stigmas 
strap-shaped, recurved, channelled, downy. Capsules 3, superior, 
stalked, oblong, single-celled, inflated ; convex externally ; sharp 
at the inner edge, where they are combined longitudinally, and 
where they finally burst and separate. Seeds numerous, globose, 
attached irregularly to each margin of the capsule. 
Distinguished from other genera in the same class and order, by 
the naked, inferior, monopetalous (1-petaled), tubular corolla ; and 
the 3 inflated capsules, united at the base. 
One species British. 
CO'LCHICUM AUTUMNA'LE. Common Meadow-saffron. 
Tuberoot. Naked Lady. Upstart. 
Spec. Char. Leaves flat, broadly spear-shaped, upright. Seg- 
ments of the corolla oblong. 
Eng. Bot. t. 133.— Linn. Sp. PI. p. 485 — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 175.— 
Woodv. Med. Bot. v. iii. p. 483. t. 177. — Mart. FI. Bust, p.60 1 — Sm. FI. Brit, 
v. i. p.399. Engl. FI. v. ii. p.202. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 461. — Gray’s Nat. 
Arr. v. ii. p. 172. — Lindl. Syn. p.264. — Hook. Brit. Fk p. 172. — Lightf. FI. 
Scot. v. i. p. 192. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 1 19.— Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 83.— Purt. 
Midi. FI. v. i. p. 183. and v. iii. p. 353. — Relh. FI. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 152. — 
Hook. FI. Scot. p. 114. — FI. Devon, p. 66. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 105. — Perry’s 
PI. Varvic. Selecta:, p.33. — Bab. FI. Bath. p. 51. — Colchicum commune, Ray’s 
Syn. p. 373. — Colchicum anglicum purpureum et album, John.Ger. p. 157. 
Localities. — In meadows, pastures, and woods. Not common. — Oxfordsh. 
Near Coombe, Heythrop, Stanton Hareourt, and Ashford Mills: Dr. Sininonp. 
Between Headington and Barton, near Oxford: Mr. H. Hinton. Plentiful in 
w’oods at Church Ilandborough, 1809 & 1833; W. B. In meadows N. of 
Upper Heyford: W. B. Leafield, Wychw'ood Forest: Mr. J. H. Parker. 
Near Filkins and Bradwell : Bishop of Carlisle. Meadows on the left of 
the road between Bicester and Landford Lane, plentifully: Mr. G. Wood- 
ward. Near Alvescott: Mr. H. Barrett. Common in Meadows about 
Rollright: Miss Armetriding. — Berksh. Near Appleton, and Cumuor: 
N. B. Young, Esq. New Coll. Eaton Stibble : Mr. II. Barrett.— Bedfordsh. 
About Barford, and Thurleigh : Rev. C. Abbot. — Cambridgesh. Wood Ditton: 
Rev. R. Relhan ; — Cheshire; Meadow between Castle Hall, and River, 
Stayley : Mr. Bradbury. — Derbysh. About Marston Montgomery; between 
Duffield and Burley ; in Breadsal Long-Meadow ; and near Derby : Mr. Pil- 
kington. — Devon; Meadows at Torwood, near Torquay: Messrs. Jones and 
Kingston.— Dorsetsh. In St. Mary Blandford Meadows on the E. side of Mill 
Ditch ; and in many other places in the meadows washed by the course of the 
Fig. 1. Corolla, cut open to show the situation of the Stamens, Germen, and 
Pistils. — Fig. 2. The three combined Capsules. — Fig. 3. A transverse section 
of ditto, to show the position of the seeds. 
* From Colchis, a province of Asia, on the East side of the Euxine sea, 
where it was said to grow abundantly. 
t See Galanthus nivalis, p. 33, note -f. 
{ See p. 33, note t. 
