Colchicum, << KOL chuh kuhm, >> is a poisonous plant that grows wild in the moist meadowlands of England, Ireland, and middle and southern Europe. It is also known as autumn crocus and meadow saffron. Its flowers range in color from purple to white and bloom in the autumn. Colchicum is easily grown when planted in light, moist, sandy loam. Colchicum can also refer to an entire genus of plants in the colchicum family.
Colchicine, a bitter drug taken from the colchicum plant, is used in small quantities to treat gout. Botanists use the drug in experiments in plant breeding. Colchicine causes the number of chromosomes in a plant cell to double, a condition known as polyploidy. Polyploid plants may be larger than the plants from which they were produced.
