Biarum


Biarum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is composed of plants that are native to the Middle East, southern Europe, and North Africa. Biarum are often found growing in rock crevices and graveled soil composed largely of limestone.
The leaves of Biarum can be similar to grass or even oval. Their corms are spherical and the plants as a whole tend to be small. Many Biarum are quite similar in appearance to Arums. To flower Biarum required a dry rest period during summer. Their inflorescence tend to grow close to the ground and produce an extremely intense and unpleasant odor. The fruits produced tend to be camouflaged so as to resemble stones. It's not entirely known how they are dispersed, but one idea is that they have evolved to avoid seed dispersal since doing so in such inhospitable environments might not be conducive to its reproduction.
;Species
  1. Biarum aleppicum J.Thiébaut - Syria
  2. Biarum angustatum N.E.Br. - Syria, Israel
  3. Biarum auraniticum Mouterde - Syria
  4. Biarum bovei Blume - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran
  5. Biarum carduchorum Engl. - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran
  6. Biarum carratracense Font Quer - southern Spain
  7. Biarum crispulum Engl. - Turkey, Syria
  8. Biarum davisii Turrill - Crete
  9. Biarum dispar Talavera - southern Spain, Sardinia, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco
  10. Biarum ditschianum Bogner & P.C.Boyce - Turkey, Kastellorizo Island in Greece
  11. Biarum eximium Engl. - Turkey, Jordan
  12. Biarum fraasianum Nyman - Greece
  13. Biarum kotschyi B.Mathew ex Riedl - Turkey
  14. Biarum marmarisense P.C.Boyce - Turkey, Symi Island in Greece
  15. Biarum mendax P.C.Boyce - southern Spain, Alto Alentejo Province in Portugal
  16. Biarum olivieri Blume - Egypt, Israel
  17. Biarum pyrami Engl. - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan
  18. Biarum rhopalospadix K.Koch - Greece
  19. Biarum straussii Engl. - Iran, Iraq
  20. Biarum syriacum Riedl - Turkey, Syria
  21. Biarum tenuifolium Schott - Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Turkey