Biarum ditschianum Bogner & P.C.Boyce

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

Habitat

Low to middle-height garrigue, partly loam-filled chimneys or crevices in limestone.

Diagnostic

Biarum ditschianum has a spathe limb reduced to a narrow rim on the spathe tube and the most notable feature is the relatively massive, dark yellow spadix appendix. Perhaps the most unusual feature of B. ditschianum is the presence of hair-like processes on the base of the spadix appendix. Such structures are otherwise unknown in the genus and are uncommon in the Araceae.

General Description

Tuber depressed-globular to sub-globular, 2.5–3 × 1.5–2 cm, light brown. Roots 1.4–2 mm in diam. Leaves 2–3, rarely up to 5, hysteranthous, long petiolate, bases partly encased by several 5–10 cm long, membranaceous, whitish cataphylls; petiole 8–20 cm × 1.5–3 mm, channelled, laterally compressed, mid-green, sometimes reddish tinged distally; leaf lamina oblanceolate early in the season, subsequent leaves linear, narrowly-elliptic or lanceolate, 6–15(– 20) × 0.6–3(– 3.5) cm, base cuneate, decurrent, apex acute to obtuse, 4–7 primary lateral veins on each side, leaf lamina mid-green, veins paler. Inflorescence appearing in spring, smelling strongly foetid, base enclosed by 5–6 cataphylls, these at first membranaceous, whitish, soon withering to become papery and brown, 1.5 – 6( – 7) × c. 1.5 cm, the longest equalling the spathe. Peduncle subterranean, 2–5 cm × 3.5–5 mm, whitish. Spathe 4–5 cm long; spathe limb much reduced, 1.8–2 × c. 2 cm, sub-triangular, terminating in a c. 2 mm mucro, exterior greenish to light green, sometimes with a reddish tinge, interior purplish-red; spathe tube c. 3 × 1.8–2 cm, margins connate proximally for c. 2.5 cm, exterior whitish, sometimes slightly reddish tinged, interior reddish purple. Spadix exceeding the spathe, 7–8 cm long; spadix appendix elongateconoid to somewhat sub- cylindric, shortly stipitate, 4–4.5 cm × 7–11 mm, apex obtuse, base rounded, the basal 7–10 mm furnished with reflexed, filiform, acuminate, 1–2.5 × 0.1–0.25 mm, transparent white ‘ hairs ’ , appendix dark yellow except for the reddish purple basal 7–10 mm; stipe 5–6 × 3–4 mm, cream. Staminate flowers arranged in an oblong zone 5–6 × 7–9mm, stamens sub-sessile, yellow proximally, purple-red distally, occasionally entirely yellow. Pollen extruded in strands. Interstice 1.3–3.5 cm × 2.5–3.5( – 4) mm, light purple, fading to creamy white apically purple. Staminodes absent. Pistillate flowers arranged in a 2–2.5 mm high hemispherical cluster; ovary bottle-shaped, c. 1 mm in diam., purplish red, occasionally pale cream, styles and stigmas curved outwards, style 1.2–1.3 × c. 0.4 m, purplish, colour intensifying towards yellow. Infructescence depressed-globular, 3–3.5 × c. 2 cm, consisting of c. 50 berries; berries obovoid, 6–10 × 4–7 mm, whitish, sometimes with a very slight reddish tinge proximally. Seed obovoid, 5.5–7.5 × 4–5.5 mm; testa with the upper part very slightly irregular-reticulate, lower part smooth. 2N = 26 ( Petersen 1989 ).

Distribution

SW Turkey.