Colchicum palaestinum

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Colchicum jordanicola
• Erythrostictus palestinus
• Merendera jordanicola
• Androcymbium gramineum var. palaestinum
• Androcymbium palaestinum

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Liliales, it is classified under the family Colchicaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Colchicum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical range across parts of Northern Africa and Western Asia. In the North African region, its presence is documented within the territories of Egypt and Libya. Moving toward Western Asia, the species can be found spanning the area from Lebanon to Syria. It is also native to the region of Palestine. Finally, its distribution extends into the Sinai Peninsula, completing its localized habitat range.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Colchicum palaestinum is characterized by its specialized survival strategy as a cryptophyte, specifically functioning as a geophyte. This means that the plant survives unfavorable environmental periods, such as intense summer droughts or cold seasons, by retreating into underground storage organs. As a geophyte, its vital physiological processes are concentrated within a subterranean bulb, which serves as a nutrient and water reservoir, allowing the plant to remain dormant while the above-ground structures perish. This life cycle enables the plant to emerge rapidly during the appropriate growing season, utilizing its stored energy to produce foliage and flowers before returning to its protected underground state.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Morphology

The morphology of Colchicum palaestinum is characterized by its growth habit as a self-supporting, non-climbing herb that lacks any climbing structures. It functions as an independent organism, showing no parasitic tendencies toward host plants. In terms of its ecological niche and substrate preference, the plant is strictly terrestrial, distinguishing itself from aquatic or semiaquatic species, and it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior, instead establishing itself firmly within soil environments.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Parasite :

independent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Colchicum palaestinum has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Fitoterapia

Chemicals

Colchicum palaestinum has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include (-)-3-demethyldemecolcine, (-)-colchicine.

(-)-3-demethyldemecolcine

1. Fitoterapia

(-)-colchicine

1. Fitoterapia