BIARUM DAVISII

Family:- ARACEAE

Common Name:- None

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Biarum (Gr) A name used by the Greek physician and botanist

Dioscorides for an arum-like plant.

Davisii (L) For Peter Davis, plant collector.

General description:- Low tuberous perennial.

Leaves:-

a) appearing after flowering.

1) Lamina 1·5-3 cm x (5-)10-13 mm.

a) ending abruptly in more or less a straight line (truncate) at the base; oval to

elliptical, rather leathery, (coriaceous) deep green, sometimes with a wavy

margin, often flat on the ground.

b) with a distinct stalk (petiole) 2-4 cm.

Flowers:-

1) Flowers:

a) female, 10-20.

b) male, zone, 8-10 mm.

c) sterile, sometimes present between male and female and above the male,

but very small and few, and often absent.

2) Scape:

a) 3-4 cm, slender.

3) Spathe:

a) 3-5 x 1·5-2·5 cm.

b) the lower half tubular, swollen or bulging on one side (ventricose), the upper

half forming a triangular, narrowing gradually to a point (acuminate), hooded

(cucullate), forwardly-curved lamina.

c) greenish-white spotted with pinkish-brown.

4) Spadix:

a) appendix, slender, dark red, shorter than the spathe.

b) anthers obtuse.

c) stigma, stalkless (sessile).

Fruit:-

1) Berry:

a) white or pale green, sometimes striped with purple.

Key features:-

1) Spathe strongly cucullate, with the tube about as long as the lamina.

Habitat:- Dry stony hillslopes, rock crevices, grassy places. 0-1000(-1400) m.

Distribution:- Cretan endemic with limited distribution. Rare.

Flowering time:- Flowering in late autumn, Oct-Nov, without leaves.

Photo by:- Steve Lenton

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species): Rare according to the Red Data

Book of Rare and Threatened Plants of Greece (1995)

According to IUCN 1997. - Rare.

Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.