Species
Dracunculus vulgaris
Common Name(s)
stink lily (dragon arum, black arum, snake lily)
Authority
Dracunculus vulgaris Schott
Family
Araceae
Brief Description
Bulbous deciduous herb with erect palmate leaves. Large red-purple aroid inflorescence
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
Structural Class
Monocotyledonous Herbs
Features
Bulbous deciduous herb with erect palmate leaves borne on petioles and sheaths spotted and streaked in red, green, black; lamina green with white-ish spots. Inflorescence on 0.5 m stalk (scape), to 0.5 m tall; spathe dark red-purple with frilled margins, partly enclosing the red-purple spadix that extends beyond the spathe.
Similar Taxa
Amorphophallus titanum
Flowering
Late spring; monoecious - abundant male flowers above the many female flowers near base of spadix; flies strongly attracted by the rotting flesh smell emitted from the mature inflorescence.
Flower Colours
Red / Pink,Violet / Purple
Year Naturalised
1965
Origin
South-eastern Mediterranean Europe (Greece, Greek islands including Crete; Turkey)
Reason for Introduction
Ornamental
This page last updated on 30 Nov 2015