ARUM CONCINNATUM

Family:- ARACEAE

Common Name:- None

Synonyms :- Arum italicum subsp. concinnatum, Arum italicum var.

concinnatum

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

Concinnatum (L) Derived from concinnus, neat, elegant, symmetrical.

General description:- A short to medium perennial, with a horizontal tuber, often

patch-forming.

Tuber:-

a) c. 5 cm.

b) horizontal.

Leaves:-

1) Lamina:

a)15-35 cm.

b) triangular-heart-shaped with the basal lobes diverging (sagittate to hastate).

c) petiole. 15-40 cm. conspicuous with white or cream veins. shiny.

d) appearing in autumn or early winter.

Flower:-

a) flowering in late spring or early summer.

1) Peduncle:

a) usually 1/3-1/2 as long as the stems (petioles), rarely almost as long.

2) Spathe:

a) 15-40 cm.

b) drooping early at the apex.

3) Spadix:

a) 1/3(-1/2) as long as the spathe.

b) appendix stout, yellow.

4) Sterile flowers:

a) present above and below the male.

5) Fruiting spike:

a) 10-15 cm.

Fruit:-

a) Large spike, 10-15 cm long.

Key features:-

1) Spadix much shorter than the spathe.

2) Tuber horizontal.

3) Spathe white or pale green, sometimes tinged with purple.

Habitat:- OIive groves, field margins, gorges, ruderal habitats. 0-600(1000) m.

Distribution:- Aegean area and coastal parts of SW Anatolia. Widespread and

common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Mid-Mar to early June.

Photo by:- Steve Lenton