Colchicum ritchii R.Br.

General Appearance

Colchicum ritchii R.Br. / Heterotypic Synonyms: Colchicum ritchii var. pusillum Bég. & A.Vacc. , it is a tuberous geophyte perennial herb; corm ± globular, 1.5-3 cm diameter; outer tunics dark brown, coriaceous; inner tunics membranous, forming cylindrical sheath (around leaves and scape), 5-15 cm long with acuminating tip. Leaves 2-5, green, smooth glabrous, linear to linear-lanceolate, 10-30 x 0,4-1.5 cm with obscurely retrorsely serrulate margins and acute tip, usually appearing with flowers. Flowers 1-10, showy, variable in colour, ranging from white to pink; floral tube 8-20 cm long, limbs linear-lanceolate, 3-3.5 x 0.5-0.7 cm with ± blunt tip. 6-12-nerved. internally usually with 2 gills (at the lower 1/3) with 3-6 teeth like projections pointing upward, much clear in three alternating tepals. Stamens 1̸2-2̸3 the corolla; filaments entire; anthers 2-4 mm. oblong to linear, midefixed; styles ± as long as stamens; stigma slightly inflated. Capsules ovoid to oblong, 1.2-2.5 x 1-1.5 cm, beaked, many-seeded; seed sub globular c. 3 mm diameter, brownish.

Life Form

G

Phytochoria

SA+MED. The native range of this species is Tunisia to N. Saudi Arabia.

Distribution in Libya

Al-Jafarah Plain: Tripoli 1966,1975 Talil, (11 km) from Sabratah to Zuara, (20 km) from Tripoli to Ben Ghasheer 1976 Sabrata 2008

Zliten-Misurata Plain: Misurata 2006

Jabal Nafusa: Gebel Nafousa, (25 km) from Gharian to Jefren 1970 Gharian 1975 (15 km) from Shakshook to Jado 1976 Gussbat 1972, 1977

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder: Reported from Derna by Pampanini Gebel Akhder 1970 (35 km) E. Baida 1975 Wadi Al-Agar 1999 Wadi El-Kouf 2014 Wadi Haboon 2015

Notes

Wild in Libya, medicinal plant.

This species is accepted: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:533382-1

Link of images: https://flora.org.il/en/plants/colrit/, https://www.orchid-nord.com/Flore-Djerba/Colchicum%20ritchii/Colchicum-ritchii.html

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:533382-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/533382-1, https://www.gbif.org/species/2739732, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/156441/colchicum-ritchii-r-br, https://www.ksanature.com/plants/colchicum_ritchii/, https://flora.org.il/en/plants/colrit/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colchicum_ritchii, https://www.orchid-nord.com/Flore-Djerba/Colchicum%20ritchii/Colchicum-ritchii.html

Bibliographic References

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (1978) Flora of Libya, Liliaceae Vol. (57) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. Page. 3.

Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest:

El-Rabiai, G.T. & Al tira, M. (2015) Checklist of the Flora of Wadi Haboon at AI Jabal AI Akhdar (Cyrenaica, Libya). International Journal of Pharmacy & Life Sciences 6(8-9): Aug-Sep, 2015:4661-4665] Coden (USA): IJPLCP ISSN: 0976-7126. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Munay-Alteerah https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292919013_Checklist_of_the_Flora_of_Wadi_Haboonat_AI_Jabal_AI_Akhdar_Cyrenaica_Libya

Checklist of the Flora of Wadi Haboonat AI Jabal AI Akhdar. 2015

El-Mokasabi, F M. (2014) Floristic Composition and Traditional Uses of Plant Species at Wadi Al-kuf, Al-Jabal Al-Akhder, Libya. American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 14 (8): 685-697, 2014, ISSN 1818-769,IDOSIPublications,2014DOI:10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2014.14.08.12375. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/441b/23b83960f007044aca94e26f5c6b170fe102.pdf

Plant Species at Wadi Alkuf, Al-Jabal Al-Akhder, Libya 2014

El-Yafour, L. A. (2008) Taxonomic study of the vegetation properties of Sabratha city Master Thesis. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Al-Zawiya University, Libya. (In Arabic).

Al-Dana, S. M. M. (2006) Taxonomic study of wild flower plants in some areas of Misrata. Master Thesis, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Misurata University (7 October previously) Misurata, Libya. (In Arabic).

Al-Hamadi R.I. (1999) Floristic and ecological study of Wadi Al-Agar, Master Thesis, Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Botany Department-Faculty of Science-Garyounis University, Benghazi, Libya. (In Arabic).

PAMPANINI, R. (1931). Prodromo della Flora Cirenaica. -: 149 – under: Colchicum ritchii var. pusillum Bég. & A.Vacc. https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/records/item/14218-prodromo-della-flora-cirenaica