Arum creticum Boiss. & Heldr.

Tuberous herb sprouting in early autumn from a discoid, vertically orientated tuber 4-6.5 cm across, 2-3 cm thick. Petiole 10-35 cm long, 4-7 mm wide, terete, bright mid-green, rarely dull purple for ± its whole length. Leaf-blade sagittate to oblong-sagittate or oblong-sagittate-hastate, apex acute to obtuse, 8-27 cm long, 4-18.5 cm wide, bright mid-green. acute to obtuse, 8-27 cm long, 4-18.5 cm wide, bright mid-green. INFLORESCENCE smelling strongly of freesia and lemon with a slightly sour overtone, reminiscent of naphtha at close quarters. Peduncle equal to or exceeding the leaves, terete, 12-30 cm long, 4-6 mm wide, bright mid-green, rarely deep purple. Spathe 4.5-24 cm long; spathe-tube goblet-shaped, 1.5-4 cm long, 1-3.5 cm wide, flaring apically, exterior pale to mid-yellow, with slight green staining at the base, interior pale yellow, generally paler than the exterior; spathe-limb lanceolate, 2.5-20 cm long, 1-5.5 cm wide, becoming reflexed and ± twisted at maturity, acuminate, externally and internally pale to mid-yellow, sometimes pale creamy white. Spadix equalling to just exceeding the spathe , 3.5-16.5 cm in total length; appendix fusiform-cylindric, laterally compressed, indistinctly stipitate, 2.5-11.5 cm long, 2-9 mm wide, deep to mid-yellow, stipe generally paler, appendix generally darker than the spathe-limb. Staminodes and pistillodes usually absent but occasionally small, subulate yellow staminodes and vestigial pistillodes may be present. Interstices: upper absent; lower 0-3.5 mm long, longitudinally ridged, pale yellow. Staminate flowers in a roughly conical zone 4-18 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, sometimes ± contiguous with the pistillate zone; anthers and connectives yellow. Pistillate flowers in a cylindric cluster 5-20 mm long; ovaries ovoid, 2-2.5 mm long, whitish green; stigma cream. Fruiting spike oblong-cylindric, 5-7 cm long, 2-2.5 cm wide; berries oblong, 5-11 mm long, 3-5 mm wide. Germination epigeal.