colchicum

colchicum
/kol"chi keuhm, kol"ki-/, n.
1. any Old World plant of the genus Colchicum, of the lily family, esp. the autumn crocus, C. autumnale.
2. the dried seeds or corms of this plant.
3. Pharm. a medicine or drug prepared from them, used in medicine chiefly in the treatment of gout.
[1590-1600; < NL, L < Gk kolchikón meadow saffron, n. use of neut. of Kolchikós of COLCHIS, appar. by assoc. with Medea, the plant being considered poisonous]

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▪ plant genus
 genus of flowering plants in the family Colchicaceae, consisting of about 30 species of herbs native to Eurasia. The stemless, crocuslike flowers bloom in autumn, and some are variously called autumn crocus and meadow saffron. The fruit is a three-valved capsule that ripens in the spring when the leaves appear. In some species the leaves arise from the ground, with the flowers, in autumn. Several species are cultivated as ornamentals for their pink, white, or bluish purple tubelike flowers, especially C. autumnale, C. bornmuelleri, and C. speciosum. The swollen underground stem of C. autumnale contains colchicine, a substance used to relieve the pain of gout.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Colchicum — speciosum Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae …   Wikipedia

  • Colchicum — Col chi*cum, n. [L., a plant with a poisonous root, fr. Colchicus Colchian, fr. Colchis, Gr. ?, an ancient province in Asia, east of the Black Sea, where was the home of Media the sorceress.] (Bot.) A genus of bulbous rooted plants found in many… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • colchicum — [käl′chi kəm, käl′kikəm] n. [ModL < Gr kolchikon, plant with a poisonous root, after Kolchis,COLCHIS, home of MEDEA] 1. any of a genus (Colchicum) of plants of the lily family, with crocuslike flowers usually blooming in the fall; autumn… …   English World dictionary

  • Colchicum — Colchicum. См. безвременники. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Colchĭcum — (C. L.), Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Melanthaceae Colchiceae, 6. Kl. 3. Ordn. L., mit trichterförmiger, langröhriger, 6spaltiger, gefärbter, einfacher Blüthenhülle, 6 auf den Schlund eingefügten Staubgefäßen, 1 dreifächerigem,… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Colchicum — L. (Zeitlose, Lichtblume), Gattung der Liliazeen, Kräuter mit dicker, von trocknen braunen Hülsen umgebener, meist tief im Boden stecken der Zwiebelknolle, grundständigen, linealischen Blättern, die bei vielen Arten erst im Frühjahr nach der in… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Colchicum — Colchĭcum L., Zeitlose, Pflanzengattg. der Liliazeen. C. autumnāle L. (Herbstzeitlose [Tafel: Giftpflanzen, 6]) auf Wiesen in ganz Europa, treibt im Spätherbst 2 4 blaßrote Blumen aus einer Zwiebel und erst im folgenden Jahre Blätter und Früchte; …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Colchicum — Colchicum, s. Zeitlose …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Colchicum — Zeitlose Herbstzeitlose (Colchicum autumnale) Systematik Abteilung: Bed …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Colchicum — Colchique Colchicum …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Colchicum —   Colchicum …   Wikipedia Español

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