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Glite Dictionary
genus Colchicum

genus Colchicum

9.9
A group of small garden plants that grow from underground bulbs and make flowers in autumn
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnəs ˈkɒlkɪkəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Colchicum
  • Many species in the genus Colchicum bloom in the autumn, brightening gardens late in the season.

Examples

  • The genus Colchicum is sometimes confused with true crocuses due to its similar flowers.

  • Botanists debate whether the genus Colchicum should be placed in the family Colchicaceae or Liliaceae.

  • The genus Colchicum includes many beautiful flowering plants.

  • Did you know the genus Colchicum is often called autumn crocus?

  • Many species in the genus Colchicum bloom in the autumn, brightening gardens late in the season.

  • The genus Colchicum includes many beautiful flowering plants that thrive in cooler weather.

  • The genus Colchicum is sometimes confused with true crocuses due to its similar flowers.

Synonyms

Colchicum
vsgenus Colchicum
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant with a bulb-like root that makes flowers in autumn like a crocus

is the formal botanical term noting placement sometimes in family Colchicaceae

Surface Forms

genus Colchicum singular
genera Colchicum plural

Morphology

genus + Colchicum

The phrase literally combines the biological rank 'genus' with the taxon name 'Colchicum', so its meaning — the genus called Colchicum, a group of related species — is directly derivable from the constituents. This is a straightforward, compositional scientific naming pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand it.

Etymology

Genus Colchicum probably gets its name from Colchis, an old region where people used the plant's bulbs as 'medicine' and sometimes as 'poison'. That's why botanists gave this group that name and why it still refers to these autumn-flowering plants today.