Kingdom Plantae Family Colchicaceae Species C. brachyphyllum | Order Liliales Genus Colchicum | |
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Similar Colchicum ritchii, Colchicum trigynum, Colchicum boissieri, Colchicum serpentinum, Colchicum stevenii | ||
Colchicum brachyphyllum grows abundantly by the melting snow of the mountains of Lebanon. The preferred name is now C. szovitsii ssp. brachyphyllum.
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The generic name of this flower comes from Colchis, a legendary kingdom east of the Black Sea, since this plant is poisonous and calls back to memory that Colchis had been the native country of Medea, the famous poisoner in antiquity. Brachyphyllum is formed from the Greek Brakhus, short, and phullon leaf. Meadow saffron has six stamens. This characteristic, among others, differentiates it from the crocus, which belongs to the Iridaceae family and has three stamens.
Description
Perennial. Corm oval, 1–2 cm long. Leaves short at flowering time, then reaching 12 cm long over 2.5–3 cm wide, slightly undulate. Flowers numerous, white, pinkish white, or regular pink; tube rather thick. Tepals elliptico-lanceolate, lengthily tapered at base, more briefly at the apex, 2–3 cm long, 3–6 mm wide. Stamens with brown anthers and filaments thickened at the base.
Flowering
January–June
Habitat
By melting snow.
Distribution
Middle and upper mountains of Lebanon, eastern slope, Beqaa valley.
Geographic area
Syria, Lebanon, Turkey.