Biarum

Biarum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is composed of plants that are native to the Middle East, southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Balkans), and North Africa. Biarum are often found growing in rock crevices and graveled soil composed largely of limestone.

The leaves of Biarum can be similar to grass or even oval. Their corms are spherical and the plants as a whole tend to be small. Many Biarum are quite similar in appearance to Arums. To flower Biarum required a dry rest period during summer. Their inflorescence tend to grow close to the ground and produce an extremely intense and unpleasant odor. The fruits produced tend to be camouflaged so as to resemble stones. It's not entirely known how they are dispersed, but one idea is that they have evolved to avoid seed dispersal since doing so in such inhospitable environments might not be conducive to its reproduction. Species Biarum aleppicum J.Thiébaut - Syria Biarum angustatum (Hook.f.) N.E.Br. - Syria, Israel Biarum auraniticum Mouterde - Syria Biarum bovei Blume - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran Biarum carduchorum (Schott) Engl. - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran Biarum carratracense (Willk.) Font Quer - southern Spain Biarum crispulum (Schott) Engl. - Turkey, Syria Biarum davisii Turrill - Crete Biarum dispar (Schott) Talavera - southern Spain, Sardinia, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco Biarum ditschianum Bogner & P.C.Boyce - Turkey, Kastellorizo Island in Greece Biarum eximium (Schott & Kotschy) Engl. - Turkey, Jordan Biarum fraasianum (Schott) Nyman - Greece Biarum kotschyi (Schott) B.Mathew ex Riedl - Turkey Biarum marmarisense (P.C.Boyce) P.C.Boyce - Turkey, Symi Island in Greece Biarum mendax P.C.Boyce - southern Spain, Alto Alentejo Province in Portugal Biarum olivieri Blume - Egypt, Israel Biarum pyrami (Schott) Engl. - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan Biarum rhopalospadix K.Koch - Greece Biarum straussii Engl. - Iran, Iraq Biarum syriacum (Spreng.) Riedl - Turkey, Syria Biarum tenuifolium (L.) Schott - Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Turkey