Biarum straussii Engl.

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

Diagnostic

Biarum straussii and B. syriacum are notable for having narrow, grass-like foliage and in producing inflorescences in early to mid-spring while the leaves are still present. Despite these similarities B. straussii is readily separated from B. syriacum by its broader leaves, presence of a style and the longer, narrower staminate flower zone.

Habitat

Terra rossa and shales on rocky and stony limestone hills, in open situations, amongst low Berberis scrub or on grazed hillslopes.

Distribution

Northern Iraq, northern Iran.

General Description

Tuber slightly compressed-globose, 2–4 × 1.5–3 cm, without offsetts (?), pale brown. Leaves 4–18, proteranthus, long petiolate, bases encased by 3–4, 6–14 × 1–1.5 cm rather fleshy, later papery, cataphylls, these pale greenish white at first, pale brown on drying; petiole 1–3 mm thick, adaxial surface barely channelled distally, the outer-most petioles expanded into membranous wing proximally, the inner-most ± the same width along their length, petiole mid-green, wing paler; leaf lamina ovate-elliptic to oblong to linear, 5–14 cm × 4–20 mm, apex obtuse to sub-acute, base decurrent to almost truncate, c. 6–8 veins per side, margins smooth to undulate or slightly crispulate, lamina dull green. Inflorescence emerging from the middle of the leaf rosette, peduncle 4–13 cm × 2–2.5 mm, subterranean or slightly emergent, whitish to pale green where visible. Spathe 8–16 cm long; spathe limb lanceolate, 6–12 cm × 5–10 mm, acute, exterior green, interior deep purple; spathe tube oblong, inflated, 3–5 × 1.75–2.3 cm, margins fully connate, exterior green, interior deep purple, occasionally paler than the spathe limb interior. Spadix sub-equal to slightly exceeding the spathe, 8–16 cm long; spadix appendix cylindric-fusiform, 6–13.5 cm × 2–3 mm, deep purple. Staminate flowers in a zone 12.5–15 × 2–4 mm, anthers cream. Interstice 1.5–3 cm × 2–3 mm, cream. Staminodes restricted to a 5–10 mm zone above the pistillate flower zone, few to many, 4–6 mm long, mostly pointing upwards, cream. Pistillate flowers in a hemispherical cluster 3–3.5 × 5–6 mm; ovaries oblong, 1–1.5 × c. 1 mm, cream with a purple apex, style c. 1 × 0.25 mm, purple, stigma capitate, c. 0.33 mm in diam, purple. Infructescence globose, 2.5–3 cm in diam., consisting of 40–50 berries; berries 7–10 × 4.5–6 mm pale purple-white when ripe; seed c. 4 mm in diam., ovoid, testa slightly reticulate. Chromosome number not recorded.