Colchicum

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/colchicum

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Colchicum
2. What is the ecological role?Provides essential late-season floral resources for pollinators
3. What is a Colchicum and why does it bloom without leaves?Colchicum is a flower that grows from a corm underground. It blooms in autumn before the leaves appear, so it looks like a flower without leaves. This helps it survive hot, dry summers.
4. Where can you find Colchicum flowers in the world?Colchicum flowers grow mainly around the Mediterranean Sea and also in parts of Central Asia. They can be found in sunny meadows, pastures, rocky slopes, and woodland edges.

Geophyte: A perennial plant whose buds are protected underground or underwater during unfavorable periods.
Anthesis: The process of flower opening, or the period during which a flower is open.
Antimitotic Agent: A substance that inhibits cell division, particularly mitosis.
Tuberous Corm: A swollen, underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ for food.