Beautiful but deadly poisonous autumn crocus Colchicum autumnale, cultivated in a woodland garden near the main car park in Hexham, Northumberland. Sometimes known as meadow saffron but not related to the Crocus sativus whose stigmas are the source of saffron spice.
Used medicinally in the past in poultices for treating gout, but there is a fine line between a therapeutic and a fatal dose when used as a drug and there have been many fatalities.
A native wild flower
that is now rare and largely exterminated from pastures where it poisoned
cattle. Flowers in autumn but the leaves don’t appear until spring, when they
could be fatally mistaken for wild garlic (ramsons).
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.