Honouring Dr S. Litton, one-time Professor of Botany, Dublin, mid 19th century.

Perennial, cormous herbs or climbers. Leaves numerous, tendrillar at the apex, carried along erect, sometimes branched stems. Flowers bell-shaped, lobes not spreading widely, radially symmetrical, stalked, stalks not articulated. Inflorescence 1-flowered, axillary. Tepals 3+3, fused basally. Stamens 3+3, free. Styles 3, basally fused. Fruit a capsule. Seeds arillate, red-brown.

8 species from S Africa to Arabia. Generally only one in cultivation.

Tendril-tipped leaves and axillary pendulous flowers with basally fused tepals.

Nordal & Bingham (1998).

Source: Conran, J. (2005). Colchicaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.