Colchicum szovitsii Fisch. & C.A.Mey. var. szovitsii Katır Çiğdemi (in Turkish)

Colchicum szovitsii Fisch. & C.A.Mey. var. szovitsii - Katır Çiğdemi (in Turkish)

Scientific Description:

Corm 1.5−3(−4) × (1−)2−3 cm, ovoid; outer tunic blackish-brown, inner reddish-brown, papery to subcoriaceous, neck absent or vestigial. Leaves 2−3, synanthous, ligulate or very narrowly linear-lanceolate, suberect, extending 2−6(−12) cm at anthesis, (12−)16−21(−25) × (1.2−)2−3.5 cm at maturity, apex acute and often cucullate, glabrous. Flowers (1−)2−5(−7), ovoid-campanulate, sometimes campanulate or narrowly campanulate. Perianth segments deep to pale purplish-pink or white, strongly suffused purplish-pink, oblanceolate to very narrowly elliptic, (2.1−)2.7−3.5 cm × 4−10 mm, acute or less frequently obtuse, occasionally with basal auricles. Filaments 7−11 mm, glabrous; anthers purplish-black or greenish-black, 24(−5) × 1 mm; pollen yellow. Styles straight, stigmas punctiform. Capsule ellipsoid to rotund, 3.5(−4) × 1.5−2.2 cm, midbrown, glabrous, apiculate.

 

Flowering time: August−October.

Habitat: Wet meadows, moist alpine turf, steppe, edges of pine (Pinus L.) forest, 200−3250 m.

Public Description:

Colchicum szovitsii, known as “katır çiğdemi” in Turkish, is native to eastern Bulgaria and Türkiye to northwestern Jordan and Iran. It is a perennial plant with purplish-pink or white flowers and lanceolate leaves. It blooms between August and October and is found in wet meadows, moist alpine turf, steppe, edges of pine forest. Autumn-crocuses (Colchicum L.) contain the alkaloid “colchicine” which is used pharmaceutically to treat gout and Familial Mediterranean fever. The leaves, corm and seeds are poisonous.

 

References:

Anonymous (2016). https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colchicum_szovitsii, Accessed date: 21.02.2016.

Düşen O (2012). Colchicum L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 371–375.