Colchicum luteum

{{Short description|Species of plant}}

{{Speciesbox

|image=Colchicum luteum 002 GotBot 2016.jpg

|image_caption=Close-up of flower

|image2=Colchicum luteum 001 GotBot 2016.jpg

|image2_caption=Habit

|genus=Colchicum

|species=luteum

|authority=Baker

}}

Colchicum luteum, the yellow colchicum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae, native to Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the western Himalayas, and Tibet.{{cite POWO |id=533333-1 |title=Colchicum luteum Baker |access-date=9 February 2022 }}{{cite web |title=Yellow Colchicum |url=https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Yellow%20Colchicum.html |year=2022 |website=flowersofindia.net |publisher=Flowers of India |access-date=9 February 2022 }} The only yellow-flowered member of its genus, a number of cultivars are available, including 'Golden Baby' and 'Vahsh'.{{cite web |title=Colchicum luteum 'Golden Baby' |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/375735/colchicum-luteum-golden-baby/details |date=2022 |publisher=The Royal Horticultural Society |access-date=9 February 2022 }}{{cite web |title=Colchicum luteum 'Vahsh' |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/375736/colchicum-luteum-vahsh/details |date=2022 |publisher=The Royal Horticultural Society |access-date=9 February 2022 }} The species is endemic and shows very restricted distribution due to the requirement of specific conditions for growth (low temperature, less humidity and soil type). In Lahaul (Himachal Pradesh, India) a place called 'Kukumseri' has been named after the species (Colchicum luteum) where, ‘Kukum’ means Colchicum luteum and ‘Seri’ means field. The place justifies its name due to the presence of a reasonably large number of species in the area. {{cite journal |author=Sharma RK |year=2023|title=Kukumseri: a home to Colchicum luteum Baker (Colchicaceae), a rare and endangered medicinal herb|journal= Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=15|issue=9|pages=23925–23927 |doi=10.11609/jott.8199.15.9.23925-23927|doi-access=free}}