Question

Colchicum plant which gives colchicine alkaloids belongs to which family?
A. Leguminosae
B. Malvaceae
C. Liliaceae
D. Cruciferae

Answer 1

Hint: Colchicine is a natural derivative derived from Colchicum that is commonly used to treat gout. Colchicine is a pale-yellow needle or powder which is virtually odourless and darkens when exposed to light. Gout is a painful condition that occurs when a chemical called uric acid crystallizes in the body, usually in the joints. Colchicine is also used for the treatment of familial Mediterranean fever.

Complete answer:
Option: A – Colchicum does not produce nodules in roots like other legumes and does not belong to the Leguminosae family.
Thus, Option A is not correct.
Option: B – Colchicum plants show different floral characters as compared to the members of the Malvaceae family.
Thus, Option B is not correct.
Option: C - The Liliaceae family includes the Colchicum plant. Despite its toxicity, the plant is often grown as an ornamental in temperate climates.
Thus, Option C is correct.
Option: D – Colchicum plants do not show characters similar to the members of Cruciferae family.
So, Option D is not correct.
Lilies are rhizomes or bulbs that develop as perennial herbs. The leaves may be restricted to the plant's base, or they may be carried on a stem and arranged alternately, oppositely, or whorled. The leaves are undivided and have parallel veins, and they are longer than they are broad. Solitary or paired, inflorescence blooms are all possible.

Hence, option C. Liliaceae is the correct answer

Note:
Colchicum autumnale, also known as autumn crocus, wild saffron, and naked lady, contains the antimitotic alkaloid colchicine, which prevents DNA synthesis and tubulin polymerization, thereby inhibiting mitosis. It's a type of perennial blooming herbaceous plant. It grows in meadows and mountainous areas.