Arum jacquemontii (Araceae)
Tuberous herb sprouting in late autumn from a discoid, vertically orientated tuber 2-5 cm across, 2-2.5 cm thick. Petiole terete, 10.5-28 cm long, 2.5-4.4 mm wide, mid-green, stained with dull purple . Leaf-blade sagittate to sagittate-hastate, apex acute, 11-30 cm long, 4-12 cm wide, dark to mid-green. INFLORESCENCE unscented. Peduncle exceeding the leaves, terete, 11-32 cm long, 5-7 mm wide, pale green below, deep green above. Spathe 12-22 cm long; spathe-tube oblong-cylindric, 2.5-4 cm long, 1.2-1.6 cm wide, slightly constricted apically, exterior green, interior white; spathe-limb narrowly lanceolate, 9-18 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, erect at first but soon flopping forwards, acuminate, externally mid-green with faint purple staining, internally dull purple , deeper along the middle, brownish purple to purple apically, paler below. Spadix c. ? - ¾ as long as the spathe-limb , 9-20 cm in total length; appendix cylindric, tapering basally, 6-17 cm long, 3-7 mm wide, dull yellow to orange-brown, purple or brownish purple, base paler. Staminodes in 2 or 3 whorls forming a zone 3-5 mm long; bristles filiform, flexuous, 2-2.5 mm long, glossy deep violet; bases barely conic, verrucate, dark purple. Interstices : upper 1.5-2 mm long, ± smooth, cream; lower 2.5-3 mm long, longitudinally ridged, cream. Staminate flowers in an oblong zone 6-7 mm long, 4-5 mm wide; anthers and connectives maroon. Pistillodes in 3 or 4 whorls forming a zone 3-4 mm long; bristles subulate-filiform, 3-4.5 mm long, glossy deep violet; bases bulbiform, verrucate, dark purple. Pistillate flowers in an oblong-cylindric cluster 15-17 mm long, 5-6 mm wide; ovaries oblong, 2-3 mm long, pale greenish yellow; stigma pale greyish mauve. Fruiting spike cylindric, 4-4.5 cm long, 1.8-22 cm wide; berries oblong, 4-9 mm long, 3-4 mm wide. Germination hypogeal.
Inflorescence borne above leaves. Petioles dull purple. Spathe-limb interior purple. Spadix ? - ¾ as long as the spathe-limb; staminodes and pistillodes with long flexuous bristles and purple bases ; spadix-appendix cylindric, tapering basally. Inflorescence scentless. (similar to Arum korolkowii and Arum rupicola)
NE Iran, N Afghanistan, N Pakistan, N India, Nepal, W China.
Amongst rocks in damp soil pockets and crevices, occasionally along damp field edges.