Colchicum luteum
| Colchicum luteum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 0.3' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Colchicum luteum
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in early summer in a seed bed or a cold frame[1][2]. Germination can be very slow, taking up to 18 months at 15°c[2]. It is best to sow the seed thinly so that it is not necessary to transplant the seedlings for their first year of growth. Apply a liquid fertilizer during their first summer, however, to ensure they get sufficient nourishment. Prick out the seedlings once they are dormant, putting perhaps 2 plants per pot, and grow them on in a greenhouse or frame for at least a couple of years. Plant them out into their permanent positions when they are dormant[K]. The seedlings take 4 - 5 years to reach flowering size[1].
Division of the bulbs in June/July when the leaves have died down[1]. Larger bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out. The plant can be divided every other year if a quick increase is required[1].
Cultivation: Prefers a rich well-drained loam that does not dry out rapidly in summer[1]. Requires a very sunny position[3].
This species is hardy to at least -15°c[4].
Plants can take 4 - 5 years to flower when grown from seed[2].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[5].
Range: E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.
Habitat: Stony or earthy hillsides and alpine meadows at higher altitudes[4].
Medicinal: The corms are alterative, aphrodisiac, carminative and laxative[6]. They are used in India to treat gout, rheumatism and diseases of the liver and spleen[6]. They contain the toxic alkaloid 'colchicine' which is used externally to relieve pain[7][6]. The dried corms contain around 0.25% colchicine and the seed about 0.4%[6].
Usage: The following notes are for C. autumnale. Since this plant also contains colchicine it can be assumed that it has the same uses[K].
The poisonous alkaloid 'colchicine' is extracted from this plant and used to alter the genetic make-up of plants in an attempt to find new, improved varieties[8]. It works by doubling the chromosome number[9].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, self
Soil: Can grow in medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Early Spring-Early Summer
Seed Ripens: Mid Spring-Early Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: All parts of the plant, but especially the bulb[4], are poisonous[10][11][12][13][14]. They cause vomiting, violent purging, serious inflammation of the stomach and bowels, and death[15].
Handling the corms can cause skin allergies in some people[16].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Coventry, B. Wild Flowers of Kashmir. Raithby, Lawrence and Co, 1923.
- ↑ Niebuhr, Alta. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America, 1970.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Altmann, Horst. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus, 1980.
- ↑ Stary, Frantisek. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn, 1983.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.
- ↑ Castro, Miranda. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Macmillan, 1990.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.