Colchicaceae
Meadow Saffron
Colchicum autumnale
✗ High Risk
Avoid in Pregnancy
Native to: Europe, North Africa
Also known as: Autumn Crocus, Naked Lady, Meadow Crocus, Wonder Bulb
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA
Parts Used
CormSeed
Therapeutic Uses
PHARMACEUTICAL COLCHICINE only — acute gout, Familial Mediterranean Fever, pericarditis. WHOLE PLANT TOXIC. Colchicine extraction requires pharmaceutical standardization.
Herbal Actions
Anti-mitotic (colchicine — inhibits tubulin polymerization), antigout (acute gout — colchicine), anti-inflammatory (neutrophil inhibition)
Active Constituents
Colchicine (primary — toxic alkaloid, anti-mitotic), colchicoside, demecolcine, beta-lumocolchicine, flavonoids
Preparation Methods
💊 Capsule
Traditional Preparation Notes
| Herbal Tea | DO NOT USE — whole plant fatally toxic |
| Tincture | DO NOT USE — pharmaceutical colchicine only |
| Notes | Colchicine (pharmaceutical): effective and approved for gout. WHOLE PLANT: fatal at small doses — 1–2 corms can kill an adult. Do not confuse with edible wild garlic (similar habitat — different plant). Pharmaceutical use only. |
Safety Information
Safety Rating
✗ High Risk
Pregnancy
Avoid in Pregnancy
Drug Interactions
None known
Contraindications: WHOLE PLANT FATALLY TOXIC. Colchicine is pharmaceutical only. All parts toxic including seeds and corms. Do not handle without gloves.
Side Effects: Colchicine poisoning: GI cramping/bleeding, bone marrow suppression, organ failure, death. Whole plant: fatal.