White Colchicum Stock Photo

The common names autumn crocus, meadow saffron and naked lady may be applied to the whole genus or to many of its species; they refer to the `naked` crocus-like flowers that appear in late summer or autumn, long before the strap-like foliage which appears in spring.Colchicum and Crocus look alike and can be confused by the casual observer. To add to the confusion, there are autumn-flowering species of crocus. However, colchicums have 3 styles and 6 stamens, while crocuses have 1 style and 3 stamens.[4] In addition, the corm structures are quite different—in colchicum, the corm is irregular, while in crocuses, the corm is like a flattened ball.[5] Crocus is in the Iris Family, Iridaceae.