Species
Arisarum vulgare
Etymology
Arisarum: Possible from the Greek arista 'bristle' or 'awn' and arum, to which the genus is allied, referring to spathe of flower having a spike.
Common Name(s)
friar's cowl
Authority
Arisarum vulgare Targ.Tozz.
Family
Araceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
Structural Class
Monocotyledonous Herbs
Distribution
A few widely scattered collections from NZ. First collected as a garden escape in Auckland in 2004, although there are much earlier (1950s) herbarium specimens of it in the Auckland Museum herbarium, which may be wild gatherings though the label information is unclear.
Habitat
Urban weed, spreading in and near gardens.
Flowering
April - August
Flower Colours
Green,Violet / Purple
Fruiting
July - January
Propagation Technique
Vegetative extension of established plants, but seeds freely at times (see photos attached here); probably also spreads from dumped tubers in garden waste.
Endemic Taxon
N
Endemic Genus
N
Endemic Family
N
Year Naturalised
2004 (but see note above)
Origin
Mediterranean
Reason for Introduction
Ornamental
Life Cycle and Dispersal
Seed; tubers; colony expansion
This page last updated on 23 Feb 2018