ARISARUM VULGARE

Family:- ARACEAE

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

Synomyns:- This species has 7 Homotypic synonyms Click here

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:-

a) 6-12 x 4-10 cm.

b) ovate or with two ± triangular lobes pointed outwards to arrowhead-shaped

(hastate-sagittate), blunt (obtuse) or shortly ending abruptly in a sharp

point (mucronate), heart-shaped (cordate) at base.

c) stalk (petiole), long and slender.

d) purple-spotted.

Flower:-

a) approx 45cm long.

b) long-stalked, held among or above the leaves.

c) hooded above, tubular below (spathe).

d) central spike (spadix) greenish, slightly protruding from the mouth of the

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

e) female flowers 4-5.

Fruit:-

1) Berries:

a) greenish.

2) Seeds:

a) 2-6.

Key features:-

1) Spathe acute to mucronate.

2) Appendix of spadix greenish, with cylindrical, club-shaped (clavate) or globular

apex.

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