Arum idaeum
Arum idaeum Coustur. & Gand.
Arum idaeum is a tuberous herb in the Araceae family, native to Kriti. It emerges in early winter from a discoid, horizontally oriented tuber. The plant features a deep green, purple-stained petiole and an oblong-sagittate leaf blade. Its unscented inflorescence includes a spathe with a pale lime-green exterior and a white interior, and a spadix with a deep purple appendix. The plant is adapted to high-altitude, rocky habitats, often near the snow-line.
Description
Arum idaeum is a species of the genus Arum in the Araceae family. It is endemic to Kriti and was first described in 1917. The plant grows from a discoid, horizontally oriented tuber measuring 3.5-5 cm across and 1.5-2.5 cm thick. The petiole is terete, 8-21 cm long, and deep green with heavy purple staining at the base. The leaf blade is oblong-sagittate, 10-22.5 cm long, and deep green in color. The inflorescence is unscented, with a spathe 7.5-11 cm long and a spadix approximately three-quarters the length of the spathe-limb. The spathe has a pale lime-green exterior and a white interior with translucent patches. The spadix appendix is deep purple with lilac or yellow patches. The plant is found in rocky habitats such as soil pockets between boulders, scree, and stony mountain meadows, often near the snow-line.
Distribution
Kriti
