Colchicum

Colchicum is a plant genuscontaing around sixty perennials growing from corms[?]. Colchicum autumnale, commonly called Meadow Saffron or Autumn Crocus, is most well known. It a small wild shrub, it has long (12-20 cm) glabrous dark green leaves, it produces purple, pink or white flowers resembling those of the crocus which appear in September to October. It is a member of the Liliaceae (Lily) family and is native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia.

It has found some favour with gardeners and species such as C. speciosum var. album, C. corsicum and C. agrippinum are grown for their flowers.

Its leaves, corm and seeds are poisonous, containing colchicine. But the root and seeds were long considered to have valuable medicinal properties. It was commonly used to treat rheumatic complaints and especially gout but also had cathartic and emetic effects. It was first described as a treatment for gout in De Materia Medica of Padanius Dioscorides.

Colchicine was first isolated in 1820 by two French chemists, it was later identified as a tricyclic alkaloid and its pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects for gout were linked to it binding with the protein tubulin. It is FDA approved for the treatment of acute gout and also for familial Mediterranean fever, amyloidosis, and scleroderma. The effects of an overdose can be serious, including fever, severe and bloody diarrhea, severe vomiting and fever. High doses can also damage bone marrow and lead to anemia.