ARUM PURPUREOSPATHUM

Family:- ARACEAE

Common Name:- None

Synonyms:- None

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

Purpureospathum (L) With a purple spathe.

General description:- Tuberous perennial.

Leaves:-

1) Lamina:

a) 3-7, 14-22 x 11-17 cm.

b) sagittate-hastate, apex acute to rounded.

c) light to mid-green, glossy.

Flower:-

1) Spathe tube:

a) 5-7 x 1.75-2.5 cm.

b) oblong-cylindric, tapering and constricted towards the end (apically).

c) exterior mid-green longitudinally striped with purple, and stained with purple

above, interior uniformly deep purple.

2) Spathe-limb:

a) 18-23 x 5-9 mm wide.

b) broadly lance-shaped (lanceolate), erect apart from the apical 3-4 cm, which

droops forward, gradually narrowing to a long point (long-acuminate).

c) externally deep green basally, remainder deep purple, shiny, internally mid-

purple or dull to deep bright purple, ± lustrous, rarely somewhat matte.

3) Spadix:

a) 3-5 cm x 2.5-5 mm.

b) 1/3-1/2 as long as the spathe limb.

c) appendix clavate-cylindric, long stipitate, obtuse.

d) black-purpIe.

Fruit:-

1) Berries:

a) 6-11 mm long, 5-6 mm wide.

b) orange red when ripe.

2) Seeds:

a) globose, mid-brown.

Habitat:- In short grass and among large stones, more rarely on almost bare rocky

hillsides or in maquis or garrigue.

Distribution:- Endemic to Crete and Karpathos. On Crete known from only three

sites in the south west. Very rare.

Photo by:- Fotis Samaritakis

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species):

Vulnerable (V) according to the Red Data Book of Rare and Threatened Plants of

Greece (1995) -

Vulnerable (V) according to IUCN 1997.

Protection status (for threatened species): Bern Convention.