A new record of the genus Colchicum (Colchicaceae) in China

As part of the Third Xinjiang Comprehensive Scientific Expedition and the development of the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species (GBOWS), a systematic plant diversity survey was conducted in Wuqia County, Xinjiang, from 2022 to 2024. In the transboundary region adjacent to Kyrgyzstan, a member of the Colchicaceae family, assigned to the genus Colchicum, was identified. Detailed morphological examination, encompassing floral architecture and bulb structure, combined with molecular phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast markers (atpB-rbcL, psbA-trnH, rps16, and trnL), confirmed the species as Colchicum kesselringii Regel: a newly recorded taxon for China. The Chinese name “Wu qia qiu shui xian” is herein proposed. This finding not only expands the known distribution of Colchicum into China but also contributes an important taxon to the national genetic resource bank for higher plants, with implications for transboundary biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, this discovery provides valuable insight into the historical migration patterns of mountain floras across Central Asia.