Colchicum laetum Steven

Corm conical, about 3 cm diam., covered by black-brown scales. Flowering plants about 10 cm. Leaves linear, 3-4, appearing in spring. Flowers 1-4, fairly large, 4-5 cm, pale violet, lilac or pink. V - in two periods, early spring when fruiting, and later when flowering and developing leaves. Fl - late summer or autumn, for 2-3 weeks. Propagation by seed or division. Can grow in a rather severe climate, for example, does well in St. Petersburg in sunny and dry places. Well suited for the rock garden. Z 4. New.

Russia (Volga River basin), Caucasus (northern regions, and Dagestan). In meadows, steppes, in the foothills and submontaine plains.

Colchicum laetum is a species of Colchicum found in south east Russia through to the Caucasus.

A plant known in cultivation as C. laetum 'Pink Star' is thought to be a selection of Colchicum × byzantinum. It has flowers which are pale purple-pink with rounded ends; the petals of each bloom are often held parallel to the soil surface.