Its leaves, corm and seeds are poisonous, containing the alkaloid colchicine. Its roots and seeds have long been considered to have valuable medicinal properties deriving from the use of small doses of this drug, such as to treat gout. Murderess Catherine Wilson is thought to have used it to poison a number of victims in the 19th century.
In this genus the ovary of the flower is underground. As a consequence, the styles are extremely long in proportion, often more than 10cm.
In the UK, the National Collection of Colchicums is maintained at Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk.
Adapted from the Wikipedia article Colchicum, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Colchicum – Medicinal uses and poisonous properties
Its leaves, corm and seeds are poisonous, containing the alkaloid colchicine. Its roots and seeds have long been considered to have valuable medicinal properties deriving from the use of small doses of this drug, such as to treat gout.
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