Description
Originally from low mountain areas around the city of Arak in the Markazi Province of Iran (perhaps more famous for the Iranian nuclear installations than the Colchicum). This strain appears to be totally winter hardy here, although the foliage sometimes gets nipped at the tips during late spring frosts.
This is distinguished from the usually cultivated forms of this species mainly by widely the open, almost starry, appearance of its flowers and their thick and substantial floral segments. It is distinct also in foliage with widely spreading leaves, though this usually matters little to gardeners. This accession is not a clone, it is seed-raised from a limited seed collection, but it looks to be fairly uniform. Notable also for being long lasting when in flower, which begins in September but which peaks in mid-October here.
