Biarum ditschianum Bogner & P.C.Boyce

Tuber depressed-globular to sub-globular, 2.5–3 × 1.5–2 cm, light brown. Roots 1.4–2 mm in diam. Leaves 2–3, rarely up to 5, hysteranthous, long petiolate, bases partly encased by several 5–10 cm long, membranaceous, whitish cataphylls; petiole 8–20 cm × 1.5–3 mm, channelled, laterally compressed, mid-green, sometimes reddish tinged distally; leaf lamina oblanceolate early in the season, subsequent leaves linear, narrowly-elliptic or lanceolate, 6–15(– 20) × 0.6–3(– 3.5) cm, base cuneate, decurrent, apex acute to obtuse, 4–7 primary lateral veins on each side, leaf lamina mid-green, veins paler. Inflorescence appearing in spring, smelling strongly foetid, base enclosed by 5–6 cataphylls, these at first membranaceous, whitish, soon withering to become papery and brown, 1.5 – 6( – 7) × c. 1.5 cm, the longest equalling the spathe. Peduncle subterranean, 2–5 cm × 3.5–5 mm, whitish. Spathe 4–5 cm long; spathe limb much reduced, 1.8–2 × c. 2 cm, sub-triangular, terminating in a c. 2 mm mucro, exterior greenish to light green, sometimes with a reddish tinge, interior purplish-red; spathe tube c. 3 × 1.8–2 cm, margins connate proximally for c. 2.5 cm, exterior whitish, sometimes slightly reddish tinged, interior reddish purple. Spadix exceeding the spathe, 7–8 cm long; spadix appendix elongateconoid to somewhat sub- cylindric, shortly stipitate, 4–4.5 cm × 7–11 mm, apex obtuse, base rounded, the basal 7–10 mm furnished with reflexed, filiform, acuminate, 1–2.5 × 0.1–0.25 mm, transparent white ‘ hairs ’ , appendix dark yellow except for the reddish purple basal 7–10 mm; stipe 5–6 × 3–4 mm, cream. Staminate flowers arranged in an oblong zone 5–6 × 7–9mm, stamens sub-sessile, yellow proximally, purple-red distally, occasionally entirely yellow. Pollen extruded in strands. Interstice 1.3–3.5 cm × 2.5–3.5( – 4) mm, light purple, fading to creamy white apically purple. Staminodes absent. Pistillate flowers arranged in a 2–2.5 mm high hemispherical cluster; ovary bottle-shaped, c. 1 mm in diam., purplish red, occasionally pale cream, styles and stigmas curved outwards, style 1.2–1.3 × c. 0.4 m, purplish, colour intensifying towards yellow. Infructescence depressed-globular, 3–3.5 × c. 2 cm, consisting of c. 50 berries; berries obovoid, 6–10 × 4–7 mm, whitish, sometimes with a very slight reddish tinge proximally. Seed obovoid, 5.5–7.5 × 4–5.5 mm; testa with the upper part very slightly irregular-reticulate, lower part smooth. 2N = 26 ( Petersen 1989 ).