Colchicum atropurpureum

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Colchicum atropurpureum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Colchicaceae
Genus: Colchicum
Species:
C. atropurpureum
Binomial name
Colchicum atropurpureum
Stapf ex Stearn

Colchicum atropurpureum is a small flowered Colchicum which has blooms that open pink and then turn to a darker shade of red-purple. This plant is often confused with Colchicum autumnale.[1] It is considered unresolved, or species inquirenda, according to The Plant List.[2]

Taxonomy[edit]

Colchicum atropurpureum was described in 1934 by William Stearn, based on a name proposed by Otto Stapf for plants cultivated in Cambridge University Botanic Garden.[3][4] These plants were introduced into cultivation by a Dutch firm, allegedly from plants collected in the Meuse valley in France that may have been garden escapees.[5] There are mentions to a Colchicum autumnale var. atropurpureum prior to the description of Colchicum atropurpureum,[6][7] but it is unclear if these refer to the same species described by Stearn.[4]

The species has since been considered a synonym of C. autumnale,[8] but other authors have considered it more similar to C. turcicum.[9][4] Due to the uncertainty surrounding the name, it has been proposed to consider it a cultivar, Colchicum 'Atropurpureum'.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Autumn Bulbs by Roy Leeds (B.T. Batsford Ltd) 2006 ISBN 0-7134-8962-6
  2. ^ "Colchicum atropurpureum Stapf ex Stearn — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  3. ^ Stearn, W.T. (1934). "Notes on Colchicum". Journal of Botany, British and Foreign. 72: 341–344.
  4. ^ a b c d Grey-Wilson, Christopher; Leeds, Rod; Rolfe, Robert (2020). Colchicum - The Complete Guide. Glasgow: Royal Horticultural Society. p. 150. ISBN 9781911666080.
  5. ^ Grey, C.H. (1937). Hardy Bulbs. London: Williams & Norgate.
  6. ^ Weston, R. (1771). The Universal Botanist and Nurseryman. London.
  7. ^ Loudon, J.C. (1839). Hortus Britannicus with second additional supplement. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green & Longmans.
  8. ^ Persson, K. (2007). "Nomenclatural synopsis of the genus Colchicum (Colchicaceae), with some new species and combinations". Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 127 (2): 165–242.
  9. ^ Mathew, B. (1987). The Smaller Bulbs. London: B.T.Batsford.