About Arum dioscoridis Sm.
The scientific name of this plant is Arum dioscoridis Sm. It produces green, arrow-shaped leaves that emerge in winter. In spring, it develops a short-stalked inflorescence. This inflorescence consists of a black, rod-shaped spadix, which is surrounded by a bract called a spathe. The spathe is yellow-green, mottled with purple and brown, and may even be entirely purple. The color pattern of the spathe is variable, and multiple varieties have been described based on these different color patterns. On the spadix, female flowers are located at the bottom, male flowers grow above the female flowers, and the top section of the spadix is a sterile area called an appendix. The spadix gives off a pungent odor that attracts flies to act as its pollinators. Arum species are grouped into two categories based on the relative height of their inflorescences: "cryptic" species have inflorescences held on short peduncles that sit among or below the leaves, while "flag" species have inflorescences that sit above leaf level at the end of long peduncles. Arum dioscoridis is classified as a cryptic species. For cultivation, this plant can be grown as an ornamental in rock gardens in Mediterranean regions. In the Benelux, it can be grown indoors as a potted plant. It can be propagated from seed.
