COLCHICUM autumnale, flor. serotinis.
Tardy-flowering Meadow Saffron.
HEXANDRIA Trigynia.
Gen. Char. Cal, a spatha. Cor. in 6 divisions, tube
arising from the root. Capsules 3 , connected and
inflated.
S pec. Char. Leaves plane, lanceolate, and erect.
Var. with late green abortive flowers.
A R E P R E S E N T A T IO N o f th is p la n t in its p ro p e r an d usua l
s ta te m ay be fo u n d in o u r 2d vol. t. 133. I t is n o t w ith o u t
re lu c ta n c e th a t we a dm it a n y varieties o r m o n stro sitie s in to
th is w o rk , b u t so ex tra o rd in a ry an ap p ea ran c e as th e p re sen t,
so p u z z lin g to c om m o n obse rvers, an d n o w h e re , to o u r
k n ow le d g e , m e n tio n e d , c a n n o t surely b e u n a cc ep tab le .
W e are in fo rm ed by M r i S a lm o n , to w h om we are obliged
fo r sp e c im en s, th a t th is p la n t ha s b e en observed fo r 6 o r 7
years p a st in a meadow n e a r D e v iz e s, W il t s , in th e m o n th s o f
A p ril o r M a y . I t is u n q u e stio n a b ly n o o th e r th a n Colckicum
autumnale b e a rin g leaves a t its p ro p e r se a son, an d a lo n g w ith
th em , from th e same b u d , ta rd y ab o rtiv e flowers, w h ic h should
have c om e fo rth th e a u tum n b e fore , an d b y th is tim e have
pe rfe c ted seed. In ste a d o f w h ic h th e ir stam en s an d o th e r
p a rts are im p e rfe c t, th e re is n o p o llen in th e antherae, and
even th e corolla is d raw n o u t in to lo n g g re en ish ill-co lo u red
se gm en ts, ow in g as it sh o u ld seem to th e cold and m o istu re
o f th e v e rn a l se a son. T h is howev er m u s t be esteemed a late
an d n o t a n early flowe ring v a rie ty w ith re sp ec t to its usua l
m o d e o f p ro d u c tio n .
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