The autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale - Herbstzeitlose) is one strange plant indeed. It is now producing its fruit everywhere in Lobau where it grows almost anywhere (except on very dry places, or in dark, shadowy forests). The plant as such is quite ugly really - or nothing special anyway. One would expect flowers to grow out of their leaves, but this never happens; instead the plant produces a fruit. They're already withering now (and will have withered to nothing in a few weeks time, when the fruit finally will be ripe), as you can see here:
In summer no trace of the plant will be left - until august, when suddenly flowers will grow out of the earth, with no leaves at all attached to them; here's a picture of last year:
This was on 18th of august 2007. I was in Lobau on the 15th without noticing any autumn crocuses. (I might have overlooked a few early ones which might already have come out on the 15th, admittedly; but mass occurence only was on the 18th certainly - and I am rather curious if this year the flowering season will happen at approximately time - which would be my guess.)
Admittedly not even the flowers of the autumn crocus are especially beautiful; but what really does make them special is the time of year they are flowering - when most of the other plants do flower in spring.
