Biarum rhopalospadix K.Koch

Tuber dorsoventrally compressed-discoid, 1.5–3 × 1–1.5 cm, with few offsets, mid-brown. Leaves 3–5, hysteranthous, short-petiolate, bases encased by 3–4, 5–8 cm × 5–10 mm lanceolate, sub-fleshy, later papery, cataphylls, these mid-green drying to very pale green or creamy-white; petiole 3–5 cm × 2–3 mm, adaxial surface channeled distally, expanded proximally into a membranous wing, mid to rather dark green; leaf lamina oblong to oblong-spathulate, 5–11 × 1.5–2.5 cm, apex obtuse to sub-acute, base decurrent to cuneate, 5–6 primary lateral veins per side, margins smooth to slightly undulate, lamina mid-green. Inflorescence appearing in spring, moderately foetid of cattle dung. Peduncle 3–9 cm × 2–4 mm, encased by 2–4, 4–11 × 1–1.5 cm lanceolate, sub-fleshy, later papery, cataphylls, these mid-green drying to pale straw-yellow. Spathe 7–24 cm long; spathe limb oblong-lingulate to elliptic-oblong, 5–14 × 1–4 cm, acute to shortly acuminate, exterior green with dense purple-brown staining, especially towards the magins and apex, interior concolorous purple-brown, occasionally very slightly greenish distally; spathe tube narrowly cylindrical, slightly inflated, 3–5.5 cm × 7–9 mm, margins connate for ¾ of their length, exterior off-white below, purple-brown flushed above, interior white, slightly purple stained distally. Spadix sub-equal to shorter than the spathe limb, 8.5–14.5 cm long; appendix fusiform, ± sessile, though tapering in some specimens, 6–10.5 cm × 2 – 6 mm, deep purple. Staminate flowers in an oblong-cylindric zone 6–12 × c. 4 mm, cream. Interstice 11–25 × 3–4 mm, cream. Staminodes covering the proximal half of the interstice, recurved, falcate, pointed, 1.5–3 mm long, mostly simple but occasionally bifi d, cream. Pistillate flowers in a hemispherical cluster c. 5 mm wide, 3 mm high; ovary globose, slightly dorso-ventrally flattened, 0.25 mm wide and tall, cream; stigma . c. 0.25 mm in diam., borne on a 0.25–0.5 mm long style, stigma greyish, style purple. Infructescence not seen. 2n not recorded.