Kingdom Plantae Family Colchicaceae Scientific name Colchicum cupani Rank Species | Order Liliales Genus Colchicum Higher classification Colchicum | |
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Similar Colchicum, Colchicum alpinum, Colchicum boissieri, Colchicaceae, Colchicum pusillum |
Colchicum cupani is a widespread species, known as the Mediterranean meadow saffron, which grows around much of the central Mediterranean Basin, reported from France, Sardinia, Italy, Albania, Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, Sicily, Algeria, Malta and Tunisia.
Colchicum cupani is quite variable. Some specimens have flowers that open completely to a star shape, while other specimens remain cup-shaped. The pink to purple, untessellated flowers are small, up to 3 cm (1") in diameter, but are produced in abundance in the fall. The foliage is also produced in the fall.
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized:
References
Colchicum cupani Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA