Biarum syriacum
Biarum syriacum
Arap sucukotu
The whole plant is 20-40 cm. Tuber is dorso-ventrally compressed-discoid, 1,5-4,5 × 2-5 cm, light to dark brown. Leaves 13-27, proteranthous, long-petiolate, the bases encased by 3-6 ligulate, 6.5-16 × 1,5-3 cm, subfleshy, later papery, whitish cataphylls and 2-3 ligulate, 6,5-9 × 1-1,5 cm, fibrous brown cataphylls. Petiole 9-15 × 1-1,8 cm, abaxial surface channelled distally, expanded into a membranous wing proximally, mid to dark green. Leaf lamina linear to linear-elliptic, the first few leaves emerging spathulate, 11-21 cm × 5-12 mm, apex acute, base long-decurrent to cuneate, 3-7 primary lateral veins per side, margins smooth to undulate, lamina mid to dark green, rarely somewhat glaucous abaxially. Inflorescence appearing in spring. Peduncle 6-11 cm × 3-6 mm, dirty white, emerging from amidst the foliage. Spathe 12-18 cm long. Spathe limb elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, 9-14 × 3-6 cm, exterior green, heavily stained deep purple.
interior deep purple. Spathe tube oblong, sub-cylindrical, moderately inflated, 4.5-7 ×1,5-1,8 cm, margins fully connate, exterior dirty white, stained purple around the upper margins, interior white, stained mid-purple distally. Spadix sub-equal to just exceeding the spathe limb, 10-19 cm in total length. Spadix appendix fusiform, sub-sessile to shortly stipitate, 6-13 cm × 7-14 mm, deep purple. Staminate flowers in a zone 11-15 mm long, 7-10 mm in diameter, anthers cream-light purple. Interstice 1,5-4 cm × 4-5 mm, dark cream-light purple. Staminodes arranged on the lower half of the interstice, moderately dense; bases barely to not swollen, dark cream, filaments filiform, spreading to erect, 4-6 mm long, the longest nearest to the pistillate flowers, cream. Pistillate flowers in a hemispherical cluster 2-3 × 3-5 mm; ovaries oblong, 1-2 × 0,5 mm, dark cream, stigma sub-sessile, capitate, 0,2-0,4 mm in diameter. Infructescence 8-11 × 5-6 mm; berries 2-3 × 1-1,5 mm, head consisting of 50-65 berries, whitish-reddish; immature seeds ovoid, 1,0 × 0,5 mm.
Forest spaces, steppe and rocky ground, limestone fields, terra rose type soil. Alt. 1100-1200 m
Distribution: SE Turkey, NW Syria.
