Flowering Affected by Daylength and Temperature in the Leafless Flowering Desert Geophyte Colchicum tunicatum, Its Annual Life Cycle and Vegetative Propagation

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Abstract
Colchicum tunicatum has an underground corm with three freshy stalk internodes. The corm is replaced annually by a bud in the axil of the first foliage leaf. Sometimes the second or third axillary bud also develops into an independent shoot. Flowering takes place during autumn, before the onset of rain, when the leaves are still very small and positioned deep in the soil. At the time of leaf appearance during winter, the new replacement buds are visible on the newly developing corm. Corms of C. tunicatum were planted 10 cm below the soil surface outdoors at Sede Boqer [Israel] in the area where C. tunicatum occurs naturally. The plants received 9, 12, 15, or 18 h light/day from sunlight, augmented with artificial low-level light after 4 P.M. Photoperiod affected flowering. The shorter the daylength, the earlier flowering started, as long as the daily minimum soil temperature was above 29 C.

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