Biarum angustatum (Hook.f.) N.E.Br.

Tuber dorso-ventrally compressed-discoid, 2–5( – 7) × 1.5 cm, sparsely offsetting, mid-brown. Leaves 3–5, hysteranthous, long-petiolate, bases encased by 3–6, 4.5–8.9 cm × 7.5–15 mm, lanceolate-elliptic cataphylls, inner cataphylls subfleshy, later papery, dirty white drying straw-yellow, outer cataphylls fibrous, brown, drying slightly darker; petiole 13–17 cm × 2.5–3mm, adaxial surface slightly channeled distally, expanded into a narrowing proximally, mid-green; leaf lamina narrowly lanceolate-elliptic, 13.5 × 1.5 cm, apex acute, base long-decurrent, 4–5 primary lateral veins perside, margins smooth, mid-green. Inflorescence appearing in the autumn, strongly foetid of horse dung and urine. Peduncle 5.5–9 cm × 2.5 mm, encased by several 3–10 cm × 8–15 mm sub-fleshy, later papery, cataphylls, these very pale greenish white, pale creamy white on drying. Spathe 19–24 cm long; spathe limb narrowly lanceolate, 12–18 × 3–5 cm, apex acute, exterior mid-green spotted and stained brownish purple, interior deep brownish purple, sometimes fading to green apically; spathe tube narrowly cylindric, 3–3.5 × c. 1 cm, margins connate for c. ¾ of their length, exterior whitish, stained deep purple towards the apex, interior white, slightly purple stained near the apex. Spadix slightly shorter than the spathe limb, 11.5–17 cm long; spadix appendix slender-cylindric, 13–14.5 × c. 1.5 mm, deep brownish purple. Staminate flowers in zone 13–15 × 3–3.5 mm, anthers off-white. Interstice 12–15 × 1–2 mm, off-white. Staminodes arranged mostly at the base of the interstice though with scattered rudimentary fi laments higher up; filaments slender, 2.5–4 mm long, directed downwards, white. Pistillate flowers in a hemispherical cluster, c. 8 mm × 4 mm high; ovaries bottle-shaped 2–2.5 × 1–1.25 mm, purple, style 1.5–2 mm × c. 0.2 mm wide, purple, stigma sub-capitate, c. 0.3 mm in diam, white. Infructescence slightly compressed-globose, consisting of c. 40 berries; berries c. 5 × 6 mm, dirty white, seeds globose, c. 5 mm diam., testa brown, slightly reticulate. 2n not recorded.