Colchicum cilicicum

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Colchicum cilicicum003.jpg

|genus = Colchicum

|species = cilicicum

|authority = (Boiss.) Dammer

|synonyms_ref =

|synonyms = *Colchicum × byzantinum var. cilicicum Boiss.

• Colchicum bivonae Ten.
• Colchicum tenorei Parl.
• Colchicum tenorii orth. var.
• Colchicum bisignanii Ten. ex Janka
• Colchicum autumnale var. tenorei (Parl.) Fiori
• Colchicum autumnale var. todaroi (Parl.) Fiori
• Colchicum todaroi Parl.

}}

Colchicum cilicicum, the Tenore autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae.{{cite web|url= https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:533265-1|title= Colchicum cilicicum (Boiss.) Dammer|author=|date=n.d.|website=Plants of the World Online|publisher=The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|access-date= September 16, 2020}} A bulbous perennial, it bears deep rose-lilac flowers in late summer, with barely any chequered pattern on the petals (tessellation).Carl Lebrecht Udo Dammer. 1898. Gardeners' Chronicle. London ser. 3, xxiii. 34, Colchicum cilicicum It has a very noticeable white stripe down the centre of each petal, which gives it a star-like appearance at the base. The flowers tend to stand up to weather better than other colchicum blooms. The flowers appear before the strap-like leaves, giving this and other colchicum species the common name "naked lady". Although colchicums are called "autumn crocuses" they belong to a different family than true crocuses. There are in fact autumn-flowering species of crocus such as Crocus sativus, which is the source of the spice saffron. Colchicum cilicicum, by contrast, is toxic if eaten.

This species is native to Turkey and Syria.{{Cite web |title=Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/?name_id=302810 |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=Plants of the World Online |language=en}}Autumn Bulbs by Roy Leeds (B.T. Batsford Ltd) 2006 {{ISBN|0-7134-8962-6}}

It is found in cultivation, and under its synonym C. tenorei has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web

| url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/4237/i-Colchicum-tenorei-i/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Colchicum tenorei

| accessdate=12 January 2018}} (confirmed 2017).{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 22 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | accessdate = 24 January 2018}} The cultivar 'Purpureum' is also a recipient of the award.{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/45922/Colchicum-cilicicum-Purpureum/Details

| title = Colchicum cilicicum 'Purpureum' | publisher = RHS | accessdate = 12 April 2020}}