Colchicaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Colchicaceae DC.

Synonym(s): Bulbocodiaceae Salisb.; Burchardiaceae Takht.; Uvulariaceae A. Gray ex Kunth, nom. cons.

Common name(s): autumn-crocus family

*Number of genera/species: 15/285

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

fruit or seed

Description

Fruit dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
or septicidalsepticidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally by separating between the septa of adjacent carpels
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
or both, 3–60 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to trigonoustrigonous:
3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
or angledangled:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, sometimes with persistent stylesstyles:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
, many seeded, rarely indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
and one seeded (some species of Disporum). Sometimes winged with an attenuate beakbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
brown, green, blue, black, or blue (Disporum), shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
or membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, smooth, wrinkled, ridgedridged:
surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface
, or glandularglandular:
surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored
.

Seed globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to angularangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
or discoiddiscoid:
3D shape—resembling a disc
, 1–4 mm long, and rapheraphe:
a ridge or seam on the seed coat, formed by the portion of the funiculus united to the ovule wall in longitudinally curved ovules
sometimes conspicuous (Iphigenia). Strophiolestrophiole:
appendage or outgrowth of seed coat near the hilum and micropyle
present in Kuntheria, Schelhammera*, Tripladenia, and Uvularia. Fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
present in Gloriosa (red) and Uvularia. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
present in Littonia. In Ornithoglossum, carunclescaruncles:
a localized outgrowth of the seed coat near the hilum of the seed; it functions as an elaiosome
often present as an outgrowth of the rapheraphe:
a ridge or seam on the seed coat, formed by the portion of the funiculus united to the ovule wall in longitudinally curved ovules
. Colchicum seeds appendaged. Seed coat brown or red, firmfirm:
texture—yielding under only moderately strong pressure; only slightly deformable without internal structural disruption
, spongyspongy:
soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient
, or fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
, smooth, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
(Sandersonia, Androcymbium), or papillatepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex
(Iphigenia).

Embryo linear, straight, may be very small and undifferentiated. Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
present.

*Strophiole absent in some species.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	loculicidal loculicidal: type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal) or septicidalsepticidal: type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally by separating between the septa of adjacent carpels capsule
Size range	3–60 mm long
Shape(s)	globose, oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , cylindricalcylindrical: 3D shape—a cylinder, with parallel sides and a circular cross-section; tubular or rod-shaped , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , trigonous
Texture	leathery, fleshyfleshy: texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut , membranous
Surface relief	smooth or wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , ridgedridged: surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface , glandular
Color(s)	brown, green, blue, black
Seed
Size range	1–4 mm long
Shape(s)	globose, ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , polygonalpolygonal: =angular , discoid
Surface relief	smooth, wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose , papillate
Color(s)	brown, red
Unique features	Seeds brown or red, often with spongyspongy: soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient or fleshyfleshy: texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut seed coats and usually with outgrowths.
Other
Embryo	linear, straight, may be very small and undifferentiated
Nutritive tissuenutritive tissue: tissue within the seeds that nourishes the developing embryo; such as endosperm, perisperm, or chalazosperm in angiosperms; megagametophyte in gymnosperms	endosperm endosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds present

Distribution

Temperate to tropical regions, Africa, Eurasia, Australia, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), and northern North America.

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

Baskin and Baskin 2021Baskin and Baskin 2021:
Baskin C and Baskin J. 2021. Relationship of the lateral embryo (in grasses) to other monocot embryos: A status up-grade. Seed Science Research 31 (3): 199-210. doi:10.1017/S0960258521000209; Dahlgren et al. 1985Dahlgren et al. 1985:
Dahlgren RMT, Clifford HT, and Yeo PF. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons: structure, evolution, and taxonomy. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 520 pp.; Nooteboom et al. 2021; Flora of Australia 2021+Flora of Australia 2021+:
Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Accessed January 2021–March 2024. URL: http://www.ausflora.org.au; Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+:
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. Flora of North America Association, New York and Oxford. Accessed January-March 2024. URL: http://beta.floranorthamerica.org.; Hoenselaar 2005Hoenselaar 2005:
Hoenselaar K. 2005. Colchicaceae. In: Beentje HJ and Ghazanfar SA, eds. Flora of Tropical East Africa Vol 43a. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London UK. 19 pp.; Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020-January 2022. URL: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm .; Kubitzki et al. 1990+Kubitzki et al. 1990+:
Kubitzki K et al., eds. 1990+. The families and genera of vascular plants. 7+ vols. Berlin etc.; Stevenson and Loconte 1995Stevenson and Loconte 1995:
Stevenson DW and Loconte H. 1995. A cladistic analysis of monocot families. In: Rudall PJ, Cribb PJ, Cutler DF, and Humphries CJ, eds. Monocotyledons: Systematics and Evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.; Tutin et al. 1964–1980Tutin et al. 1964–1980:
Tutin TG, Burges NA, Chater AO, Edmondson JR, Heywood VH, Moore DM, Valentine DH, Walters SM, and Webb DA (eds.) 1964–1980. Flora Europaea. 5 vols. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK. 2,524 pp.; Watson and Dallwitz 1992+Watson and Dallwitz 1992+:
Watson L and Dallwitz MJ. 1992+. The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 6th Accessed September 2020-September 2022. URL: delta-intkey.com; Zhengyi et al. 2004+Zhengyi et al. 2004+:
Zhengyi W, Raven PH, and Deyuan H. 2004+. Flora of China [online]. 25 vols. Science Press, Beijing China & Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis USA. Accessed January–March 2024. http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.