ARISARUM VULGARE

Family and Genus:- See- ARACEAE

Common Name:- Monk's hood, Friar's cowl

Homotypic Synonyms:- Arisarum arisarum, Arisarum incurvatum, Arisarum

serpentrium, Arum arisarum, Arum calyptrale, Arum incurvatum, Balmisa

vulgaris.

Meaning:- Arisarum (Gr) A name used by the Greek physician Dioscorides.

Vulgare (L) Vulgar, common.

General description:- Small tuberous-rooted, hairless perennial, usually patch-

forming.

Leaves:-

1) 6-12 x 4-10 cm, hastate-sagittate, obtuse or mucronate, cordate at the base.

petiole, long and slender, purple-spotted.

Flower:-

1) Approx 45cm long. long-petiolate, held among or above the leaves. cucullate

above, spathate below, spadix, greenish, slightly protruding from the mouth of

the spathe, green to chocolate-brown, often striped in the lower half and

speckled.

a) female flowers 4-5.

Fruit:-

1) Berries, greenish.

2) Seeds, 2-6.

Key features:-

1) Spathe, acute to mucronate.

2) Appendix of spadix, greenish, with a cylindrical, clavate or globular apex.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Shaded or semi-shaded habitats, rocky places, scrub, banks, open

woodland. 0-1200 m.

Distribution:- Widespread in the Mediterranean region and Atlantic Islands.

Very widespread and common across Crete.

Flowering time:- (Oct)Dec-Apr.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton