'Colchicum' definitions:
Definition of 'Colchicum'
(from WordNet)
noun
Chiefly fall-blooming perennial cormous herbs; sometimes placed in family Colchicaceae [syn: Colchicum, genus Colchicum]
Definition of 'Colchicum'
From: GCIDE
- 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]