Biarum olivieri

Appearance

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.

Distribution

North Egypt, South Israel, South Jordan.

Habitat

sand in the desert