Colchicum 2015

[YT]

Colchicum triphyllum, taken today

[arilnut]

Here is colchicum Kesselringii open yesterday.

John B

[YT]

A nice naturalised Colchicum Kesselringii, John B

C. kesselringii ‘My Choice’, today.

[YT]

This is the same Colchicum Kesselringii pot as above on the next day
I never know this poisonous plants get pecked...

[ArnoldT]

YT:

Looks like slugs.  have a look under the pots during daylight.

[YT]

Thanks, Arnold. I've already checked around the pots when I notice it and didn't find any slugs and its silvery trails. I only spot some bird droppings and tore pieces of petals were spread wider than chewing by slug or snails...

[ArnoldT]

That's interesting.  Most of my Colchicum damage is perpetrated by slugs.

They(slugs) are immune to the colchicine that is poisonous to most other species.

I've always been fascinated by the specificity of various toxins on one species and the toxin is ineffective on others.

The issue as I understand it is that the toxin is not metabolized by the organism and passes though almost unnoticed.

[SJW]

That's interesting.  Most of my Colchicum damage is perpetrated by slugs.

They(slugs) are immune to the colchicine that is poisonous to most other species.

I've always been fascinated by the specificity of various toxins on one species and the toxin is ineffective on others.

The issue as I understand it is that the toxin is not metabolized by the organism and passes though almost unnoticed.

There was a nature programme on TV here a few days ago where I was suprised to hear that bamboo contains cyanide and is very toxic although it is the main food source of a lemur species (and pandas, of course). Perhaps this is common knowledge but it had passed me by! Does heat remove the toxins which is why it appears in Chinese cuisine, or is that a specific, non-toxic species of bamboo?

[ArnoldT]

Steve;

cooking and washing can remove plant toxins.

Think about all the Aroids we eat only after they are washed and cooked.

Taro is one.  Needs a rigid cooking process to remove the crystals that are poisonous

[johnw]

There was a nature programme on TV here a few days ago where I was suprised to hear that bamboo contains cyanide and is very toxic although it is the main food source of a lemur species (and pandas, of course). Perhaps this is common knowledge but it had passed me by! Does heat remove the toxins which is why it appears in Chinese cuisine, or is that a specific, non-toxic species of bamboo?

Seems many animals eat raw bamboos and survive.

I understand there are varying levels in different species.  However for cooking purposes bamboo is always boiled first and then fried, steamed or grilled afterwards.  The water is always discarded.

Bamboo  - canned or otherwise - from Thailand will be an entirely different genus than those from say Chengdu and same for Guangdong.  I am always amazed at bamboophiles who can 
examine a plateful and suggest a possible genus & species.

Avoid canned bamboo at all costs, it has an awful tinny taste, better the bagged vacuumed-sealed kind.

johnw

[YT]

Does heat remove the toxins which is why it appears in Chinese cuisine, or is that a specific, non-toxic species of bamboo?

I'm also a bamboo eater, Steve We eat boiled very young sprouts of bamboo. See here: Bamboo shoot

[Hans A.]

This is the same Colchicum Kesselringii pot as above on the next day
I never know this poisonous plants get pecked...

Same happened here with the same species this year - I suspect this were cutworms. Slugs are less dangerous for colchicum in my opinion (they prefer narcissus).

[SJW]

I'm also a bamboo eater, Steve We eat boiled very young sprouts of bamboo. See here: Bamboo shoot

Yes, on reflection I should have written Asian cuisines rather than Chinese . As I've noted before, you learn something new every day on this forum, and not only about horticulture!

[ruben]

Colchicum szovitsii 'Snowwhite'

[Steve Garvie]

Colchicum szovitsii Pink form