Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: Could you give me some information on Colchicum Autumnale (Meadow Saffron)?
QUESTION:
I am studying towards a degree in Environmental Geoscience. For my
Vegetation and the Environment module, I have to undertake a study on a
particular plant, Colchicum Autumnale, or Meadow Saffron. I am having a lot of
difficulty finding any infomation on this plant and would be very
grateful if you could put me in the right direction.
ANSWER:
See Spoerke and Smolinske's Toxicity of Houseplants (CRC Press) pp 15-18
and 104-105. The explanations are excellent and the references to relevant
reviews are useful.
The toxicant, colchicine, is used to produce polyploidy in plant genetic
studies. As a general antimitotic it attacks many organ systems in the
animal body.
Search on Autumn Crocus or Fall Crocus (North American common names) and
I'll bet you will find much more in databases and on the web than when you
tried Meadow Saffron.