Arum korolkowii Regel

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

Diagnostic

Inflorescence borne above leaves. Petioles brownish green striped. Spathe-limb narrow, acuminate, green on inner surface. Spadix-appendix shortly and stoutly stipitate. Staminode and pistillode bases cream. (similar to Arum rupicola and Arum jacquemontii)

Distribution

N Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia.

Phenology

Flowering April to May.

Habitat

Soil pockets in rocky hillsides, beneath low scrub.

General Description

Tuberous herb sprouting in early winter from a discoid, vertically orientated tuber 4-7 cm across, 2.5-3 cm thick. Petiole terete, 12-35 cm long, 4-5 mm wide, pale green with brownish green, rather diffuse longitudinal stripes. Leaf- blade sagittate-hastate to oblong-sagittate, apex acute to rather obtuse, 8-16 cm long, 5-13 cm wide, deep to mid-green. INFLORESCENCE unscented. Peduncle exceeding the leaves, terete, 16-46 cm long, 5-7 mm wide, mid-green. Spathe 14-20 cm long; spathe-tube oblong-cylindric, 3-3.7 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, constricted apically, exterior mid-green, interior white ; spathe-limb narrowly lanceolate , 11-17 cm long, 2.5-3 cm wide, erect, acuminate, externally mid-green, internally slightly paler with very faint purple flushing along the outer ? of the limb. Spadix c. ? as long as the spathe, 11-14 cm in total length; appendix cylindric-fusiform, shortly and stoutly stipitate, 8.8-10 cm long, 6-8 mm wide, dull cream, heavily marbled with reddish brown, darkening to purplish brown in the basal, stipe purple. Staminodes in 3 or 4 whorls, formming a zone 5-7 mm long; bristles filiform, flexuous, 3-4 mm long, pale purple; bases compressed-conic, verrucate, cream. Interstices: upper 1.5-2 mm long, verrucate, cream; lower 0-0.5 mm long, verrucate, with vestigial staminode bases, cream. Staminate flowers in a roughly quadratic zone 6-8 mm long, 5.5-7.5 mm wide; anthers and connectives mid-purple. Pistillodes 4 whorls, forming a zone 3.5-4.5 mm long; bristles filiform, flexuous, 2.5-3.5 mm long, pale purple; bases bulbiform to conic, verrucate, cream . Pistillate flowers in an oblong-cylindric cluster 12-15 mm long, 7-9 mm wide; ovaries globose-oblong, 2.5-3 mm long, pale lime-green below, light green above; stigma cream. Fruiting spike oblong-cylindric, 5-6 cm long, 2-2.5 cm wide; berries oblong-pyriform, 5-10 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide. Germination unknown.