From Myth to Medicine

Director Lew Feldman

Historical Origins and Medical Discovery

Flowering each autumn in the Garden’s Medicinal Herb Collection, Colchicum autumnale is easily recognized by its striking, purple-pink flowers. Known as autumn crocus or wild saffron, C. autumnale is the source of colchicine, one of the oldest medicinal drugs still used today worldwide. Medicinal applications of colchicine to treat pain and swelling were first documented more than 3,000 years ago in the Ebers Papyrus (circa 1550 B.C.). By the 1st century A.D., the Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides described it as a remedy for gout. The name “colchicine”, the term given to the toxic alkaloid produced by the plant, likely stems from its historical reputation as a poison in Colchis, an ancient kingdom situated in modern-day Georgia bordering the Black Sea. According to Greek mythology, the sorceress Medea used C. autumnale to craft deadly potions. Its introduction to colonial America is often credited to Benjamin Franklin. Today, colchicine remains a first-line drug of choice for the treatment of gout. More recently, it was also shown to provide therapeutic benefit for another group of conditions in which inflammation is a key component: cardiovascular disease.

Colchicum autumnale is found in the Herb Garden, bed 702, alongside other medicinal plants. It blooms in the fall.

The plant is believed to be native to Great Britain and Ireland and is now found across mainland Europe. It thrives in meadow grasslands and woodlands in moist, periodically damp soils, similar to its location here in the Garden. However, unlike most plants that flower in the spring or early summer, C. autumnale follows what could best be described as a “reversed seasonal cycle,” remaining leafless in late summer and fall, when it flowers. It relies on a subterranean, irregularly shaped corm filled with starch to survive winters underground.

Chemical Defenses and Toxicity
The highest levels of colchicine occur in the seeds and flowers, and it is likely that this compound forms part of the plant’s chemical defense against herbivores and insects. The production of colchicine and its leaching into the soil have been reported to stunt the growth of nearby, competing plants. Take note: the plant poses a particular threat to domestic cats.

Applications in Plant Breeding and Horticulture
Applications of colchicine extend beyond its use as a curative for gout. Treating plants with colchicine causes a doubling of their genetic material (DNA), a condition known as polyploidy. Polyploidy is frequently linked to developmental changes, including new morphological traits such as larger flowers and leaves. As a result, the use of colchicine has gained the attention of horticulturists.

Banner image: Melina Meza