colchicum autumnale
NounWordNet 3.0
Noun (1)
- bulbous autumn-flowering herb with white, purple or lavender-and-white flowers; native to western and central EuropeSynonyms: autumn crocusmeadow saffronnaked lady
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Colchicine \Col"chi*cine\ (? or ?), n. [Cf. F. colchicine.] (Chem.) A powerful vegetable alkaloid, C17H19NO5, extracted from the Colchicum autumnale, or meadow saffron, as a white or yellowish amorphous powder, with a harsh, bitter taste; -- called also colchicia. [1913 Webster]
Colchicum \Col"chi*cum\, n. [L., a plant with a poisonous root, fr. Colchicus Colchian, fr. Colchis, Gr. ?, an ancient province in Asia, east of the Black Sea, where was the home of Media the sorceress.] (Bot.) A genus of bulbous-rooted plants found in many parts of Europe, including the meadow saffron. [1913 Webster]
Note: Preparations made from the poisonous bulbs and seeds, and perhaps from the flowers, of the Colchicum autumnale (meadow saffron) are used as remedies for gout and rheumatism. [1913 Webster]