Biarum olivieri Blume

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

Habitat

In consolidated sand in open situations, often close to the coast.

Distribution

N Egypt, S Jordan, S Israel

Diagnostic

Biarum olivieri, is a curious species that is allied to B. bovei, B. dispar and B. crispulum but is separable by the linear to linear-lanceolate leaves, the much thinner, almost papery, spathe texture, the fully connate spathe tube margins and the filamentous spadix appendix. The floral odour produced by B. olivieri is also distinctive. Both B. dispar and B. bovei produce a dung like odour which, although unpleasant, is not nauseating; Biarum olivieri produces a distgusting smell of soured milk when in blossom, similar to that produced by B. crispulum. The habitat favoured by B. olivieri, consolidated sand, is quite different from the heavy red clays favoured by B. bovei, B. dispar and B. crispulum.

General Description

Tuber globose to somewhat bub-cylindric, 7.5-20 x 5-25 mm. 3-8, hysteranthous to synanthous, long-petiolate, bases encased by 2 to 4, 5-14 cm x 5-13 mm, lanceolate, sub-fleshy, later papery, cataphylls, these green at first, drying greenish white; petiole 4-11 (-16) cm x 1-2 mm, adaxial surface channeled distally, expanded proximally into a membranous wing, pale green; leaf lamina linear to linear-lanceolate, rarely laceolate, 7-14cm x 2.5-10 mm, apex acute to sub-acuminate, base decurrent to rounded or subtruncate, ca. 3-5 veins per side, margins undulate to crispulate, lamina pale to mid green. partially encased by 2-3 cataphylls, the spathe tube often partially to completely buried. Spathe 3-8 cm long; spathe limb linear, the margins incurved, 1-6 cm x 1.5-3 mm, exterior midgreen; interior dull purple, rarely olive green; spathe tube ovoid, strongly inflated, 1-2.5 x 0.75-1.5 cm, margins connate for their whole length, exterior pale to mid green, sometimes flushed purple towards the opening, interior deep purple. Spadix subequal to the spathe limb, 2.5-8 cm long; spadix appendix filiform, 2-6.5 cm x 0.5-1 mm, deep purple. Staminate flowers in a zone 3-4 mm x ca. 1mm diam., anthers scattered to rather dense, purple. Interstice 4-5 x ca. 0.75 mm, deep purple. Staminodes few, often absent, filiform, situated at the base of the interstice, 2-3mm long, purple. Pistillate flowers in a hemispherical cluster 2-4 x 3-4 mm; ovaries bottle shaped, ca. 1-5 x 0.75mm cream, style ca.1 x 0.15 mm, purple, stigma capitate, ca. 0.33mm in diam., purple grey. globose, ca. 1.1-2cm in diam., often enclosed in the persistent spathe tube, head consisting of ca. 25-30 berries; berries globose ca. 5 mm in diam., pale whitish-purple when ripe; seed spherical, ca. 3mm in diam., testa ± smooth, elaiosome barely developed, pale brown. Chromosome number not recorded.

Phenology

November-December