ARUM CRETICUM

Family:- ARACEAE

Common Name:- None

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Arum (Gr) A name used by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus.

Creticum (L) From Crete, Cretan.

General description:- Medium perennial 30-40 cm.

Tuber:-

a) 2-5 cm. diam.

b) vertical, subglobose.

Leaves:-

a) appearing in autumn.

1) Lamina:

a) 8-15 cm.

b) hastate-sagittate.

d) basal lobes with an angular segment projecting outwards and a rounded

segment overlapping the sinus.

c) dark green, shiny.

d) petiole c. 25 cm.

Flower:-

a) flowering in spring.

1) Peduncle:

a) as long as the petioles or longer.

2) Spathe:

a) 7-12 cm.

b) less constricted and more inflated at base than in other species.

c) white, pale green or yellow.

3) Spadix:

a) shorter or longer than spathe.

b) dark purple or yellow.

4) Sterile flowers often absent; if present, few and small.

Key features:-

1) Flowering in spring or early summer.

2) Sterile flowers absent or very few.

Habitat:- Seasonally damp, rocky places in gorges, olive groves, scrub and ruderal

habitats. (0-)200-1400(-2000) m.

Distribution:- Just extending to SW Anatolia; only recently discovered in Rodos.

On Crete mainly confined to the mountain massifs of (Kedros, Psiloritis, Dikti and

Afendis Kavousi).

Flowers:- Late Mar to mid-May.

Photo by:- Steve Lenton