Colchicum species s through z

Colchicum species s through z are found on this wiki page


Colchicum Hybrids - Colchicum a-h - Colchicum i-r - Colchicum index


Colchicum sanguicolle K.Perss. is a species, little known to cultivation, that grows in the mountains of southwestern Turkey and is distinguished by the deep red prophyll (sheathing leaf) visible in one of the photos just above the soil surface. It grows among rocks and in short grass, but the largest colonies appear to be in duff just downhill and outside the drip line of large Cedrus libani (cedars). It is a medium-sized colchicum about 10 cm tall in flower. Photos by Jane McGary.

Colchicum sanguicolle, Jane McGaryColchicum sanguicolle, Jane McGary

Colchicum serpentinum Woronow ex Miscz. is a spring flowering species from Turkey. Photo from John Lonsdale.

Colchicum serpentinum, John Lonsdale

Colchicum sibthorpii Baker see Colchicum bivonae Guss.


Colchicum soboliferum (C.A.Mey.) Stef. see Merendera sobolifera


Colchicum speciosum Steven is a fall blooming popular species native to Turkey and the Caucasus where it is found in meadows and light woodland. Flowers appear long before the leaves with flower color from pinkish purple to deep purple sometimes with a white zone in the throat. Photo by Arnold Trachtenberg.

Colchicum speciosum, Arnold Trachtenberg

A form from Northern Turkey, once considered a species, but now included in Colchicum speciosum, Colchicum bornmuelleri Freyn has narrower leaves and purplish anthers. Photos by Janos Agoston of plants grown as C. bornmuelleri.

Colchicum speciosum, Janos AgostonColchicum speciosum, Janos AgostonColchicum speciosum, Janos Agoston

Colchicum speciosum 'Album' has huge pure white goblets tinged green in the throat and gets high praise as possibly one of the best autumn bulbs for the garden. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner of plants growing in a container in a raised bed with Babiana leaves showing. The third picture shows a bee rolling around in the flower. The last shows the corm on a 1 cm grid.

Colchicum speciosum 'Album', Mary Sue IttnerColchicum speciosum 'Album', Mary Sue IttnerColchicum speciosum 'Album' with bee, Mary Sue IttnerColchicum speciosum 'Album' corm, Mary Sue Ittner

Colchicum speciosum 'Atrorubens' is richly colored. Photo by Arnold Trachtenberg

Colchicum speciosum 'Atrorubens', Arnold Trachtenberg

Colchicum ssp. shows unidentified species. The first two photos by Angelo Porcelli are of what was thought to be the sterile hybrid Colchicum byzantinum, but is apparently not that species. One guess is that it could be Colchicum cilicicum. These plants do set a few seeds sporadically. It is a strong grower, which multiplies fast with its large oval bulbs. Leaves are very large too, with a well visible pseudostem. The next two photos by John Lonsdale are of two unidentified species. The last two photos from Arnold Trachtenberg were received as Colchicum umbrosum, but are not that species.

Colchicum sp., Angelo PorcelliColchicum sp., closeup, Angelo PorcelliColchicum sp., John LonsdaleColchicum sp., John LonsdaleColchicum sp., Arnold TrachtenbergColchicum sp., Arnold Trachtenberg

Colchicum szovitsii Fisch. & C.A.Mey. is a spring-flowering species native to the area of Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus. Flowers may be pink or white. The first photo from Jane McGary shows a pink form grown from wild-collected seed from Turkey photographed in early February in a bulb frame in Oregon. The last two photos were taken by John Lonsdale.

Colchicum szovitsii, Jane McGaryColchicum szovitsii, John LonsdaleColchicum szovitsii, John Lonsdale

Colchicum szovitsii 'Snow White' Photo by John Lonsdale.

Colchicum szovitsii 'Snow White', John Lonsdale

Colchicum szovitsii 'Tivi' is a white selection found by Janis Ruksans. According to one description this species has dark anthers, but these plants have yellow anthers; nevertheless I am accepting the collectors' identifications for them. Photographed in early February in a bulb frame in Oregon by Jane McGary.

Colchicum szovitsii, Jane McGary

Colchicum szovitsii 'Vardaovit' Photos by Arnold Trachtenberg and John Lonsdale.

Colchicum szovitsii 'Vardaovit', Arnold TrachtenbergColchicum szovitsii 'Vardaovit', John Lonsdale

Colchicum tenorei Parl. see Colchicum cilicicum (Boiss.) Dammer


Colchicum trigynum (Steven ex Adams) Stearn see Merendera candidissima


Colchicum umbrosum Steven is a small species from Ukraine, Turkey and Romania with white or pale pink flowers with yellow anthers that flowers late summer early fall without leaves. Segments are 1.5-2.5 cm long and .5 cm or less wide so they appear starry when open. " Photos from iNaturalist were taken by Svetlana Bogdanovich and vlad50 in Ukraine (flowers in August and September and leaves and fruit in May) and shared under a CC BY-NC license.

Colchicum umbrosum, Svetland Bogdanovich, iNaturalist, CC BY-NCColchicum umbrosum, Svetland Bogdanovich, iNaturalist, CC BY-NCColchicum umbrosum, vlad50, iNaturalist, CC BY-NCColchicum umbrosum, vlad50, iNaturalist, CC BY-NCColchicum umbrosum, Svetland Bogdanovich, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC

Colchicum variegatum L. from southern Greece and southwestern Turkey is regarded as a rather tender species. It is distinguished by its very strong tessellation (checkerboard marking) and is the parent of Colchicum × agrippinum, which is hardier. The first two photos from Jane McGary show (1) a bulb purchased from a European source and (2) a plant grown from seed purchased from the Archibalds. The last photo was taken by John Lonsdale.

Colchicum variegatum, Jane McGaryColchicum variegatum, Jane McGaryColchicum variegatum, John Lonsdale

Colchicum Hybrids - Colchicum a-h - Colchicum i-r - Colchicum index


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