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Colchicum melanthioides (Willd.) J.C.Manning & Vinn.

Species

Angiosperms > Liliales > Colchicaceae > Colchicum

Characteristics

Corm ovoid, 25 mm [as '1 in.'] diam.; tunics nearly black, firm in texture; stem 25-152 mm [as '1-6 in.'] long above ground; leaves 2-3, linear or lanceolate, the lower 15-20 cm [as '6-8 in.'] long; capitulum globose, many-flowered, 1/2-1 in. diam.; bracts 4-8, ovate, acute, the inner whitish, scariose, 25-76 mm [as '1-3 in.'] long, distinctly striped with green or brown, the outer more like the leaves in texture and furnished with a leafy point; pedicels 1/4-1/2 in. long; perianth whitish, 3/8-1/2 in. long; claw shorter than the ovate-cucullate blade; stamens as long as or a little longer than the blade; anthers yellowish, 1/12-1/6 in. long; capsule as long as the perianth; styles 1/6 in. long.
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Caulescent, cormous geophyte, 0.05-0.25 m high. Leaves suberect, linear-lanceolate, channelled, 100-300 mm long. Bracts ovate, scarious, whitish with conspicuous green veins. Flowers pedicellate, 3-7 in a terminal capitulum; tepals 9.5-12.5 mm long, claws 3.0-5.5 mm long, blades ovate or obtrullate, auriculate and deeply cupped or tubular below, 6.5-7.0 mm long. Stamens: filaments 8-10 mm long; anthers oblong. Ovary with 3 subulate style bases; styles ± as long as ovary. Flowering time May-Aug.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.05 - 0.25
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity 1-3
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 30 - 365
Germination temperacture (C°) 12 - 18
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Colchicum melanthioides world distribution map, present in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77083494-1
WFO ID wfo-0000808278
COL ID 5ZKDS
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Androcymbium melanthioides Androcymbium melanthioides subsp. melanthioides Androcymbium melanthioides var. acaule Colchicum melanthioides Androcymbium melanthioides var. melanthioides

Lower taxons

Colchicum melanthioides subsp. australe Colchicum melanthioides subsp. transvaalense
WorldFloraDB 2024