''Biarum'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of flowering plants in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Araceae. It is composed of plants that are native to the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, southern

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

(

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

), and

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> ''Biarum'' are often found growing in rock crevices and graveled soil composed largely of

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

. The leaves of ''Biarum'' can be similar to

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

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 In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

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.Bown, Deni (2000). ''Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family''. Timber Press. . ;Species #'' Biarum aleppicum'' J.Thiébaut - Syria #''

Biarum angustatum ''Biarum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Araceae. It is composed of plants that are native to the Middle East, southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Balkans), and North Africa. ''Biarum'' are often found growi ...

'' (Hook.f.) N.E.Br. - Syria, Israel #'' Biarum auraniticum'' Mouterde - Syria #'' Biarum bovei'' Blume - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran #'' Biarum carduchorum'' (Schott) Engl. - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran #'' Biarum carratracense'' (Willk.) Font Quer - southern Spain #'' Biarum crispulum'' (Schott) Engl. - Turkey, Syria #'' Biarum davisii'' Turrill - Crete #'' Biarum dispar'' (Schott) Talavera - southern Spain, Sardinia, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco #'' Biarum ditschianum'' Bogner & P.C.Boyce - Turkey, Kastellorizo Island in Greece #'' Biarum eximium'' (Schott & Kotschy) Engl. - Turkey, Jordan #'' Biarum fraasianum'' (Schott) Nyman - Greece #'' Biarum kotschyi'' (Schott) B.Mathew ex Riedl - Turkey #'' Biarum marmarisense'' (P.C.Boyce) P.C.Boyce - Turkey, Symi Island in Greece #'' Biarum mendax'' P.C.Boyce - southern Spain, Alto Alentejo Province in Portugal #''

Biarum olivieri ''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 (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Balkans), and North Africa. ''Biarum'' are often found growing in rock crevic ...

'' Blume - Egypt, Israel #'' Biarum pyrami'' (Schott) Engl. - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan #'' Biarum rhopalospadix'' K.Koch - Greece #'' Biarum straussii'' Engl. - Iran, Iraq #'' Biarum syriacum'' (Spreng.) Riedl - Turkey, Syria #'' Biarum tenuifolium'' (L.) Schott - Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Turkey

Gallery

Biarum aleppicum.jpg, ''B. aleppicum'' Biarum carduchorum kurdistan.jpg, ''B. carduchorum'' Biarum davisii 1.jpg, ''B. davisii'' Biarum pyrami 2.JPG, ''B. pyrami'' Biarum tenuifolium Greece.jpg, ''B. tenuifolium'' Rumphia, sive, Commentationes botanicæ¦ imprimis de plantis Indiæ¦ Orientalis (8329495689).jpg, ''B. bovei'' Biarum pyrami CBM.png, ''B. pyrami''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2660924 Aroideae Araceae genera