Biarum syriacum (Spreng.) Riedl

Tuber dorso-ventrally compressed-discoid, 2–3.5 × 1.5–2 cm, without offsets (?), dark brown. Leaves 12–25, proteranthous, long-petiolate, the bases encased by 3–6 ligulate, 6–14 × 1.5–2 cm, sub-fl eshy, later papery, whitish cataphylls and 2–3 ligulate 9–13 × 1–1.5 cm, fibrous brown cataphylls; petiole 6–15 cm × 1–3 mm, abaxial surface channeled distally, expanded into a membranous wing proximally, mid to dark green; leaf lamina linear to linear-elliptic, the first few leaves emerging spathulate, 6–14 cm × 2.5–4( – 14) mm, apex acute, base long-decurrent to cuneate, 3–5 primary lateral veins per side, margins smooth to undulate, lamina mid- to dark green, rarely somewhat glaucous abaxially. Inflorescence appearing in spring; peduncle 3.5–6 cm × 2–3 mm, dirty white, emerging from amidst the foliage. Spathe 11.5–18 cm long; spathe limb elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, 9–15 × 1.8–3.5 cm, exterior green, heavily stained deep purple, interior deep purple; spathe tube oblong, moderately inflated, 4–5.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, margins fully connate, exterior dirty white, stained purple around the upper margins, interior white, stained midpurple distally. Spadix sub-equal to just exceeding the spathe limb, 15.5–18 cm in total length; spadix appendix fusiform, sub-sessile to shortly stipitate, 8–15 cm × 6–9 mm, deep purple. Staminate flowers in a zone 9–14 mm long, 5–6 mm wide, anthers cream. Interstice 2–3.2 cm × 2–3 mm, dark cream. Staminodes arranged on the lower half of the interstice, moderately dense; bases barely to not swollen, dark cream, filaments filiform, spreading to erect, 3–6 mm long, the longest nearest to the pistillate flowers, cream. Pistillate flowers in a hemispherical cluster 1–2 × 4–5 mm; ovaries oblong, c. 1–2 × 0.5 mm, dark cream, stigma sub-sessile, capitate, c. 0.3 mm in diam. Infructescence known only from immature material, c. 10 × 7 mm; berries c. 3 × 1.5 mm, whitish; mature seed not seen. Chromosome number not recorded.