Biarum carratracense (Willk.) Font Quer

Tuber slightly dorso-ventrally compressed discoid to slightly compressed globose, 1.5–3 × 1–2 cm, mid-brown. Leaves 3–7, hysteranthous, very rarely synanthous, bases encased by 3–4. 7–12 × 1–2 cm, lanceolate, sub-fleshy, later papery, cataphylls, these pale greenish white to dull green, turning pale greyish yellow on drying; petiole 8–15 cm × 2–4 mm, adaxial surface channeled with slightly winged margins distally, expanded basally into a papery wing; leaf lamina elliptic, elliptic-ovate or oblanceolate, 5–12( – 15) × 2–3 cm, c. 6 primary lateral veins per side, margins smooth, lamina rather dull mid-green. Inflorescence appearing in late autumn, 11–17.5 cm long, strongly foetid of horse dung and carrion, peduncle 3–7 cm × 2–3 mm. Spathe 10–17.5 cm long; spathe limb lanceolate, 8–13.5 × 1–2 cm, margins smooth, exterior ± green with much rich purple staining, especially towards the margin, becoming paler towards the base near soil level; spathe tube elliptic-cylindric, slightly inflated, 2–4 × 1.5–2 cm, margins connate for c. ½ their length, exterior off white beneath soil level, exposed portion rich purple, interior white, stained purple at the base and towards the opening. Spadix 10–17 cm long; spadix appendix slender-fusiform, 8–13 cm × 1.4–3.5 mm, deep brown-purple. Staminate flowers in a zone 10–15 × 3–5 mm, anthers cream, stained purple in the region of the connective. Interstice 1–1.5 cm × 2–2.5 mm, purple. Staminodes few, scattered over the lower 1 cm of the interstice and directly above the pistillate fl owers. Pistillate fl owers in a hemispherical cluster c. 5–7 × 6 mm, ovaries ovoid, 0.5–1 mm in diam., purple, style c. 0.5 mm × 0.25, purple, stigma sub- capitate, c. 0.33 mm in diam., pale purple. Infructescence a globose cluster of c. 50 berries 3–3.5 cm in diam.; berries globose, c. 8–9 mm in diam., pale purple; seeds globose, c. 5–5.5 × 5 mm, testa strongly reticulate, mid-brown. 2n = 98 ( Fernandez Piqueras & Ruiz Rejon 1976 & alomeque Messia & Ruiz Rejon 1976 ), c. 96 (Talavera 1976 ), 36 ( Fernandez Casas et al., 1978).