Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron, naked boys or naked ladies, is a toxic autumn-blooming flowering plant that resembles the true crocuses, but is a member of the plant family Colchicaceae, unlike the true crocuses, which belong to the family Iridaceae. It is called "naked boys/ladies" because the flowers emerge from the ground long before the leaves appear. Despite the vernacular name of "meadow saffron", this plant is not the source of saffron, which is obtained from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus – and that plant, too, is sometimes called "autumn crocus".
From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is it poisonous?
Considered toxic. Public sources list it as such; we have not verified this individually. The corms contain colchicine, a potent chemical which binds to tubulin in the cell, impairing or inhibiting a wide variety of normal cellular functions including mitosis, endocytosis and exocytosis, and cellular… Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
- Colchicum speciosum — toxic
- Colchicum lusitanum — toxic
- Colchicum longifolium — toxic
- Colchicum arenarium — toxic
- Colchicum haynaldii — toxic
Classification
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Liliopsida
- Order
- Liliales
- Family
- Colchicaceae
- Genus
- Colchicum
- Species
- Colchicum autumnale
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