Description
A native of Southern Spain and one that is very rarely seen both in the wild and in cultivation.
The oval, veined but otherwise unmarked, green leaves are starting to appear as the flower spathes elongate and open in early autumn. These unfurl to deep reddish-purple spathes of such an intense shade that they appear to be black and they swirl around an elongated violet spadix. The spathe is drawn out in relation to its length and the spadix is longer still. At the base, the spathe is cylindrical. The whole flowering ensemble is pungent for just a day.
Very distinctive with its long and slender, drawn-out spathes and easily managed if you are used to growing Biarum. Best grown in a fertile, loam-based compost with good drainage and a dry summer rest. We have all of our Biarum under frost-free glass as they can be a little tender, especially if planted shallowly. The tubers are capable of taking quite a lot of dryness when dormant, though this does not mean it needs or even appreciates, severe dryness.
This sets fertile seed readily here (see gallery pictures), seemingly without our intervention though we are usually absent for a day when it is at its most pungent and fertile.
Propagated vegetatively and from seed from stock originally found Spain, Prov. Malaga: near Villenueva de Cauche, western end of Cerro de la Cruz mountain range, at base of steep cliffs, full sun. Distinct from our El Chorro stocks yet clearly the same species. This stock has rather more slender, upright spathes and rarely displays any other colour than black on the face (there is some green externally). It should however be noted that these features alter as the inflorescence develops and ages, so that the spathe and spadix will be shorter at emergence than at maturity.
