Showy Colchicum

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / pathogen
amphigenous telium of Uromyces colchici infects and damages live leaf of Colchicum speciosum
Other: major host/prey

Tuberous-cormous plant, 20-50 cm. Corm conical, up to 6-7 cm long, with dark cinnamon-brown coats. Leaves 4-6, 20-40 cm long, broad- elliptical. Flowers 1-4, very large, pinkish-purple to violet, with white throat 5-7 cm long. Anthers orange-yellow. V - early spring, when leaves appear and fruits ripen. Fl - early autumn, after a dormant period. P - by seed, which should be sown as soon as possible after ripening or by division of old clumps. Z 4.

Caucasus (Transcaucasus, and the northwestern slopes of the Great Caucasus Range), Turkey and northern Iran. Subalpine meadows, wood margins, 1,800- 3,000 m.