The bulb-like corms of C. autumnale contain colchicine, a useful drug with a narrow therapeutic index. Colchicine is approved in many countries for the treatment of gout and familial Mediterranean fever. Colchicine is also used in plant breeding to produce polyploid strains.
Colchicum autumnale V by Jacques Willems, on Flickr
Colchicum autumnale V by Jacques Willems, on Flickr
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