Arum

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For other uses, see Arum (disambiguation).
Arum
Arum maculatum
Arum maculatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Genus: Arum L.
Species

See text.

Arum is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region.

They are rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial plants growing to 20-60 cm tall, with sagittate (arrowhead-shaped) leaves 10-55 cm long. The flowers are produced in a spadix, surrounded by a 10-40 cm long, coloured spathe, which may be white, yellow, brown or purple; some species are scented, others not. The fruit is a cluster of bright orange or red berries.

All parts of the plants are poisonous, containing significant amounts of calcium oxalate.

Selected species
  • Arum alpinum
  • Arum concinnatum
  • Arum creticum
  • Arum cyrenaicum Fruits
  • Arum dioscoridis
  • Arum gratum
  • Arum hygrophilum
  • Arum idaeum
  • Arum italicum - Italian Lords-and-Ladies (or Cuckoo Pint)
  • Arum korolkowii
  • Arum maculatum - Lords-and-Ladies (or Cuckoo Pint)
  • Arum nigrum
  • Arum palaestinum
  • Arum pictum
  • Arum purpureospathum
  • Arum rupicola
  • Arum triphyllum

Two young Arum palaestinum plants

There is an interactive key to Arum at the following site: http://www.cate-araceae.org/key/KeyIntroduction.do?id=3