Colchicum species i through r are found on this wiki page
Colchicum index - Colchicum a-h – Colchicum i-r – Colchicum s-z - Colchicum Hybrids – Androcymbium - Bulbocodium - Merendera
Colchicum kesselringii Regel is a Central Asian species (native to Tajikistan and Afghanistan) that blooms with leaves present in late winter. It has small white flowers with a purple stripe on the back of the petals. Photos by Arnold Trachtenberg and John Lonsdale.
Photo of corms from Tajikistan by Dr. Dimitri Zubov.
Colchicum kotschyi Boiss. is a fall blooming Middle-Eastern species (Turkey, Iran, Iraq) that grows in bushy places on hillsides. Photo by Arnold Trachtenberg
Colchicum kurdicum (Bornm.) Stef., syn. Merendera kurdica Bornm., grows in alpine steppe in Turkey, Iran and Iraq, often over 2,000 meters. The first four photos by John Lonsdale. The last two photos of corms from Turkey by Dr. Dimitri Zubov. In the last photo the top row is Merendera kurdica and the lower row is M. raddeana.
Colchicum laetum Steven is a fall blooming species from the Caucasus. The Latin name translates as 'happy'. Photo 1-2 by John Lonsdale. Photo 3 of seed sown in January 2011 germinating in December 2013 by David Pilling. Photo 4 of corms from Bashkiria by Dr. Dimitri Zubov.
Colchicum leptanthum K.Perss. is a species from northeastern Turkey. Photo from Peter Taggart.
Colchicum lusitanum Brot. is a species distributed in Portugal, Spain, Italy and NW Africa. It is similar to Colchicum bivonae in having the 'check pattern' on the tepals, but these are smaller and narrow. Photos and text by Angelo Porcelli
Colchicum luteum Baker is distributed from E. Afghanistan to C. Asia and W. Himalaya. The only yellow flowered species, it is small with the leaves short at flowering, but lengthening afterwards. It flowers near the snowline. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Photos of corms from Tadzhikistan by Dr. Dimitri Zubov.
Colchicum macrophyllum B.L.Burtt from Turkey and Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes has pale lilac autumn flowers followed by very large pleated leaves in spring. It is one of the first to flower. First photo by John Lonsdale. Second and third photos of plants in habitat in Northern Crete, in September by Richard Sullivan.
Colchicum mirzoevae (Gabrieljan) K.Perss. (syn. Merendera mirzoevae Gabrieljan) in 2023 is considered by Plants of the World Online to be a synonym of Colchicum trigynum (Steven ex Adams) Stearn, but is considered to be an accepted species by World Flora Online. Photo of corms from Armenia provided by Dr. Dimitri Zubov.
Colchicum montanum L. (syn. Merendera montana (L.) Lange, Merendera bulbocodioides Willd., Bulbocodium montanum (L.) Heynh.) has early fall blooming flowers which rest on the ground followed by linear leaves. It is found in meadows and rocky slopes in Spain and Portugal. The first two photos by John Lonsdale. The last photo of corms by Dr. Dimitri Zubov
Colchicum munzurense K.Perss. is a spring bloomer from Turkey where it grows in screes and on cliffs. Munzur is an area in Turkey. The first three photos by John Lonsdale. The last photo of corms from Turkey by Dr. Dimitri Zubov.
Colchicum neapolitanum (Ten.) Ten. is a species distributed in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Balkans and Greece. A lot of synonyms are associated with this smallish species. Photo and text by Angelo Porcelli
Colchicum pannonicum Griseb. & Schenk is widely grown under this name, but in 2023 is now regarded as an excellent clonal selection of Colchicum autumnale sometimes known under the cultivar name 'Nancy Lindsay'. It has a distinctive purple color on the tube. Photos by Arnold Trachtenberg and John Lonsdale.
Colchicum persicum Baker is distributed in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. It is an autumn flowering species with purple-pink to deep violet-purple faintly tessellated long lasting flowers.
Colchicum procurrens Baker is considered a synonym for Colchicum boissieri but the flower of the bulb received as Colchicum procurrens looks different from other plants known by that name. Photo by Arnold Trachtenberg.
Colchicum pusillum Sieber is from Greece and Crete where it grows on open hillsides and flowers in early fall with leaves sometimes present or following soon. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Colchicum raddeanum (Regel) K.Perss. (syn. Merendera raddeana Regel) is native to Armenia and Georgia, often above 2,000 meters. Photo of corms by Dr. Dimitri Zubov; top row is Merendera kurdica, lower row M. raddeana.
Colchicum rhodopaeum Kov. in 2023 is considered to be a synonym of Colchicum autumnale. It is a small flowering plant from Bulgaria. Photo by Arnold Trachtenberg
Colchicum ritchii R.Br. is from Israel. Photos by Gideon Pisanty
Colchicum robustum (Bunge) Stef. (syn. Merendera jolantae Czerniak., Merendera robusta Bungle). is a Middle Eastern Species found in Iran, Afganistan, and various other countries in the region. It grows in a variety of altitudes, having been collected from 1,000 m to well over 4,000 m. Photo from iNaturalist taken by Karimov Boburbek in March in Uzbekistan. The second photo of corms from Tadzhikistan by Dr. Dimitri Zubov.
Colchicum index - Colchicum a-h – Colchicum i-r – Colchicum s-z - Colchicum Hybrids – Androcymbium - Bulbocodium - Merendera