Colchicaceae DC.

Gemma Bramley, Anna Trias-Blasi & Richard Wilford (2023). The Kew Temperate Plant Families Identification Handbook. Kew Publishing Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Recognition

Characters of similar families: Amaryllidaceae: 2 spathaceous bracts, inflorescence a pseudoumbel, ovary inferior, undivided styles. Asparagaceae: leaves normally in basal rosettes, sometimes one spathaceous bract, pedicels articulated. Iridaceae: leaves isobifacial, stamens 3, ovary inferior. Liliaceae: usually bulbs, leaves mostly cauline, styles never divided into 3 free styluli. Melanthiaceae: rarely with corms, stem always erect and simple, flowers 4–10(–12)-merous, seed linear to ellipsoid. erect and simple, flowers 4–10(–12)-merous, seed linear to ellipsoid.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herbs with rhizomes or corms, leaves and flowers annual; roots sometimes tuberous

Morphology Stem

Stem erect, simple or branching, sometimes scandent or reduced to a short underground portion

Morphology Leaves

Leaves cauline, distichous, alternate or subopposite to verticillate, sessile or subpetiolate, usually sheathing, bifacial; venation parallel with often a distinct midrib, rarely with reticulate secondary venation

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a terminal raceme or cyme, sometimes umbellate, spike-like or flowers solitary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, actinomorphic to slightly zygomorphic; tepals 6(–12), equal or somewhat unequal, free or fused in lower half, sometimes spotted or variegated, usually with perigonal or androecial nectaries, caducous or persistent; stamens 6, dorsifixed, dehiscing extrorsely by longitudinal slits, rarely latrorsely to introrsely; ovary superior 3(–4)-locular, completely or partially fused with axile placentation; ovules few to many per locule; styles 1–3(–4), free or partly united styluli, styles and stigmas often minute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a dry or fleshy septicidal or loculicidal capsule, rarely berry-like

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds subglobose or ovoid to subangular, with or without a dry strophiole, sometimes with a fleshy aril.

Distribution

Colchicaceae has ca. 280 species in 15 genera distributed in temperate to tropical zones of Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and N America.

Description Author

Anna Trias-Blasi

J. R. Timberlake, E. S. Martins (2009). Flora Zambesiaca, Vol 12 (part 2). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herbs with rhizome or a tunicated corm, occasionally stoloniferous

Morphology Stem

Stems erect or scandent, simple or branched, rarely woody, sometimes almost entirely underground

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, subopposite or verticillate, arising from the stem or stem base, sessile, often with a sheathing base, sometimes pseudopetiolate; lamina linear, lanceolate or ovate, occasionally subulate, with parallel veins, often with a distinct midrib, rarely with additional reticulate venation

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a terminal raceme or cyme, sometimes pseudoumbellate, capitate or solitary, with or without bract

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers hypogynous, bisexual, rarely unisexual, sessile or pedicellate, usually actinomorphic but occasionally slightly zygomorphic. Tepals usually 6, equal or only slightly unequal, free or joined for some part of their length, deciduous or persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 6, free or joined to petals, dehiscing by longitudinal slits

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Gynoecium usually with 3 carpels (occasionally 2 or 4), syncarpous; ovary trilocular with axile placentation and few to many ovules

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Styles 1 or 3, free or partly united

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit usually a capsule, dry or somewhat fleshy, rarely a berry

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds subglobose or ovoid or somewhat angled.

Distribution

19 genera and about 225 species in temperate and tropical Africa, Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America. 7 genera and about 14 species occur in the Flora Zambesiaca area.

Use

Many plants of this family are poisonous to livestock as most genera contain alkaloids, some of which are used in medicine and pharmacology.