The Herbstzeitlose (Colchicum autumnale) is belonged a relatively small, poisonous bloom plant and to the family of the time lot plants (Colchicaceae). The Herbstzeitlose is nowadays far common and their poison finds in medicine and plant breeding application.

Spreading

The Herbstzeitlose originally originates from west Asia and parts of the eastern Mediterranean area, is today however common also in south, central and Western Europe.

Description

The Herbstzeitlose is a plant of several years, a Kryptophyt (also Geophyt), which means, that the parts of the plant, which unfavorable seasons outlast, underground lie.

In the summer the Herbstzeitlose forms a bulb with Seitenspross, from which from August to Octobers the blooms develop. These blooms are violet colored usually pale-pink to. During the winter the original bulb is diminished. At the same time the Seitenspross grows up to a new bulb.

Colchicin

Giftigkeit

All parts of the Herbstzeitlosen contain the poisonous alkaloid Colchicin, a capillary and Mitosegift. Symptoms of intoxication occur usually only with two to six hours delay. The symptoms express themselves first in burning in the mouth. Follow swallowing difficulties, nausea and vomiting with often bloody Depending upon dose it can come particularly with children up to death by breath paralysis or cycle failure, frequently observes one also kidney damages. In the literature a number of deaths is indicated by 90 per cent. As deadly dose about 20 mg are considered, according to approx. 5 g seeds or approx. 50 g sheets with adults.

A special danger of Colchicin proceeds for children, who can come into rural areas e.g. when the a collecting hay in the autumn beginning easily into contact with the plants flowering then, straight also considering the deadly dose already small with the adult from Colchicin, which lies with children still more deeply. In addition there is report over poisonings by the milk of sheep or goats, which are to have eaten Herbstzeitlose before. But for children, also for adults the Herbstzeitlose cannot only be dangerous. Above all, if one confounds its bulbs with kitchen bulb or to itself takes the sheets with bear allium or other game salad and so larger quantities of the poisonous plant. The moreover one the Herbstzeitlose resembles rather strongly unites common ornamental plants like the crocus, which can likewise lead to dangerous mistakes (see names).

Application

Apart from this toxic effect Colchicin in addition, application in the medicine and with the plant breeding finds. In the correct dose one can use Colchicin for the treatment of joint pain with charge, whereby here meanwhile due to the strong toxic effect with wrong dosage different medicines are usually used.

In the plant breeding one uses Colchicin for the Polyploidisierung and thus for the enlargement of breed plants, as e.g. with strawberries. This effect is obtained, since Colchicin interrupts the Mitose, so that the DNA quantity in the cell core doubles itself with each interrupted division, whereby each individual cell becomes by far larger.

Location

The Herbstzeitlose grows particularly on damp meadows, here preferentially at sunny or halfshady locations, at which it is relatively warm and which are exposed not unprotected to the wind.

Name

Origin

The name Herbstzeitlose is derived from the fact that the plant in the autumn flowers and thus outside of the bloom time of other plants.

The scientific generic name Colchicum is derived however from a landscape at the black sea, the Kolchis in the today's Georgien. There also the homeland of the sayful Medea should be, their indication Giftmischerin and Zauberin. Probably a connection between the legends exists around a Giftmischerin in this region and the there occurrence of the kind of autumn time lot Colchicum variegatum.

The kind name autumnale is a reference to the bloom time in the autumn and is derived from latin "“autumnus"” (autumn).

Further names

Other German names for the Herbstzeitlose are poison crocus, hen poison, autumn flower, autumn lily, autumn-forgotten, dog flower, dog testicle, Hundsknofel, Kuhditzen, Kuheuter, louse flower, corpse flower, Michelsblume, Michelwurz, naked ass, naked Hur, naked Jungfer, ox brush, Teufelswurz, meadow lily, Wiesensafran, savage bulb, winter breath or time lot.

The often very negative names are a further voucher of the Giftigkeit and danger of the plant, since these led to such devaluing designations.

Related links

• General over the Herbstzeitlose
• Herbstzeitlosen as ornamental plant
• The native Herbstzeitlose - a poison plant

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