Biarum Mendax (Araceae: Areae) a New Species from Southwest Spain
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90 AROIDEANA, Vol. 22 Biarum mendax (Araceae: Areae) a New Species from Southwest Spain Peter C. Boyce Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond Surrey TW9 3AB U.K. ABSTRACf in autumn and early winter and this, to Biarum mendax, a new species related gether with the often striking appearance to the B. kotschyi complex is described of the inflorescence, had resulted in a from southwest Spain. growing popularity of Biarum species amongst plant enthusiasts. Mayo (983) INTRODUcnON and Mathew (987) have covered further aspects of this horticultural popularity. The genus Biarum consists of 24 spe Biarum mendaxP.C. Boyce sp. nov. ab cies of dwarf tuberous-stemmed herbs oc aliis specibus Biarii, spatha lamina magna curring in semi-arid and seasonally dry ar late lanceolata, spathii tubo profunde eas of southern Europe, North Africa, and stamnoforme distinguitur. Typus: Spain. the Near and Middle East. The centre of Badajoz: Between Hobr6n and Solana des diversity is the Middle East, where 75% of los Barros, 15 October 1976, Cabezudo et the species occur. al. 2201/76 (holotypus SEV 25005; iSoty All Biarum species display a strongly pus G). seasonal growth regime, the plants begin ning growth in late summer or early au Tuber globose-discoid, 4 X 3.5 cm, mid tumn with the onset of winter rains, and brown. Leaves not seen. Inflorescence ap continuing into late spring when the plants pearing in late summer to autumn. Pedun become dormant at the start of summer cle 12 cm X 5 mm, clothed by few to many heat and drought. The majority of species 5-13 cm X 7-15 mm papery, pale yellow blossom in autumn and early winter and ish white cataphylls. Spathe 16-24 cm this, combined with the ephemeral nature long; spathe limb lanceolate, 18--20 cm X of the inflorescences has resulted in nu 15-18 mm, apex long acuminate, exterior merous distinct undescribed species being green ± heavily blotched and stained pur overlooked, even in areas hitherto well ple-brown, interior deep purple-brown; botanized, until rather recently, e.g. B. spathe tube globose, strongly inflated, 4-5. davisii (Turrill 1938), B. auraniticum X c. 3 cm wide, margins fused for their Mouterde (Mouterde 1966), B. allepicum entire length, exterior pale green stained Thiebaut (Thiebaut 1948), B. galianii (Ta purple-brown especially towards the lavera 1976), B. davsiii subsp. marmari opening, interior off-white distally, deep sense P.C. Boyce (Boyce 1987), B. dit purple proximally. Spadix sub-equal to ex schianum Bogner & P.C. Boyce (Bogner & ceeding the spathe limb, 16-21 cm long; Boyce 1989), B. tenuifolium (1.) Schott spadix appendix slender fusiform-cylin subsp. idomenaeum P.e. Boyce & Athana dric, 14-16 cm X 6-8 mm, deep purple siou (Boyce & Athanasiou 1991). The spe brown. Staminate flowers in a zone 11-13 cies described here is another example of X 6-9 mm, deep purple. Interstice 23-25 this phenomenon, and is perhaps most re X 5-6 mm, deep purple. Pistil/odes situ markable in that B. mendax has the largest ated at the base of the interstice, few, fili inflorescence of any species in the genus. form, 5-14 mm long, deep purple. Pistil The majority of Biarum species blossom late flowers in a hemispherical cluster 4-5 PETER C. BOYCE, 1999 91 x 7-13 mm wide; ovary 2-3 mm long, This is a group, equivalent the generic cream; style 1 X 0.33 mm, purple, stigma synonym Ischarum Schott, to which a capitate, c. 0.5 mm in diam., purple. In number of horticulturally important spe Jructescence not seen. Chromosome count cies belong, including, aside from those not recorded. mentioned above, western Mediterranean B. carratracense (Haenseler) Font Quer, DISTRIBUTION & ECOWGY and eastern Mediterranean, Near Eastern B. pyrami (Schott) Engl., and B. kotschyi. To date B. mendax is known only from (Schott) B. Mathew. a few gatherings all originating from Ba dajoz in southwestern Spain, where it oc REFERENCES curs in fairly close proximity to B. dispar on rocky hill slopes of limestone-derived Bogner, ]. & P.e. Boyce, 1989. A remark terra rossa at altitudes of 50-75 m. able new Biarum (Araceae) from Tur key. Willdenowia 18(2): 409-417. ETYMOLOGY Boyce, P.C. 1987. A new subspecies of Biarum davisii Turrill from Turkey. The specific epithet is from the Latin Aroideana 10(4):14-15. mendax, deceitful, in allusion to the sim Boyce, P.e. & K. Athanasiou, 1991. A new ilarity in the dried state between the new subspecies of Biarum tenuifolium species, B. bovei, and B. dispar that has from Crete. Flora Med. 1: 5-13. resulted in it being hitherto overlooked. Mathew, B. 1987. The Smaller Bulbs. Lon don. NOTE Mayo, S.]. 1980. Biarurns for pleasure. Aroi In herbaria, B. mendax has been as deana 3(1): 32-35. signed to B. bovei Blume, or B. dispar Mouterde, P. 1966. Nouvelle Flore du Li (Schott) Talavera, on the basis of its overall ban et de la Syrie 1: 182-94. Beirut. similarity to them. However, B. mendax is Talavera, S. 1976. Revision de las especies readily separable by its greater size, ex Espanolas del genero Biarum Schott. ceeding that attained by B. pyrami. From Lagascalia 6(2): 275-296. all three species it can be distinguished by Thiebaut, ]. 1948. Araceae. Quelques the completely fused spathe tube. Biarum plantes de la flore Libano-Syrienne. mendax belongs to a group of species de Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 95: 21. fined by spadices bearing sterile flowers Turrill, W.B. 1938. Plants new or notewor only between the male and female flower thy. Gardeners' Chronicle ser. 3 104: zones, and in the inflated lower spathe, 437. .