Colchicum lagotum

Colchicum lagotum K.Perss., sp. nov. — Type: Turkey, Erzurum: Çat to
Bingöl, 73 km from Erzurum, 7 km before Cirisli Geçidi, steep unstable serpentine
slopes, 1900 m, 1.VI.2004, Zetterlund et al. BATM223, holotype GB.
— NE Turkey (Erzurum, Çoruh). 34 TUR.

Differt a C. szovitsii (incl. C. bifolio) cormi tunicis tenuioribus fugacibus,
foliis semper 2 (non 2–3) adultis patentibus basi non convolutis, perigonii tubo
graciliore indistincte sulcato, perianthii segmentis edentatis, filamentis et stylis
gracilioribus, capsulis subterraneis.

Corm oblong-ovoid to globular-ovoid, 1.3–2 x 1–1.9 cm, hypopodium usually
c. 0.5–1.5 cm long; tunics membranous to submembranous, ± evanescent,
outer dark brown, inner yellowish-brown, neck lacking or short, ± split up.
Leaves 2, synanthous, at anthesis often partly suffused brownish-carmine,
suberect to erecto-patent, not or slightly recurved, extending along half to entire
length of flower tube, at maturity erecto-patent to patent-recurved, lanceolate-
linear to lanceolate-oblong, 12–18 x 0.6–2 cm, rather glossy deep green, shallowly
channelled not convolute at base, obtuse, glabrous. Flowers mostly solitary
but occasionally up to 3; perianth tube entire, exceeding the cataphyll by c.
2.5–5(–7) cm, whitish, faintly furrowed; limb funnel-shaped to narrowly campanulate,
pale to mid purplish-lilac darkening towards base, segments 2–2.5 x
0.4–0.9 cm, oblong to oblanceolate, ± obtuse, edentate, without basal lamellae but
with short shallow channels along filament bases. Outer stamens 0.8–1.3 cm, inner
1.0–1.5 cm; filaments slender, whitish to palest yellow with deep yellow thickened
base; anthers 3–3.5 mm, greyish-yellow to black. Styles slender, whitish to
palest yellow, straight, stigmas punctiform. Capsules ± subterraneran, oblong to
ellipsoid, 1–2.5 x 0.8–1.5 cm; seeds angular-globose, reddish-brown, with yellowish-
white swelling along raphe.—Flowering March–April.—Fig. 1B, 3B.
Was called ‘Rabbit’s Ears’ by its collectors on account of the two oblong obtuse
leaves, hence its Latin epithet.
Chromosome number: 2n = 14 (Turkey, Artvin: Above Demirkent, KKPS
93-34; Erzurum: Çat to Bingöl, 73km fr. Erzurum, BATM 223). This number is
otherwise in the genus only found in C. crocifolium, C. hirsutum, C. ritchii,
C. schimperi and C. tuviae (Feinbrun, 1958; Persson, 1992, and unpubl.).