Arum apulum


Arum apulum, known as Apulian arum, is a flowering plant species in the family Araceae.

Description

Arum apulum is a tuberous herbs that spreads clonally through discoid vertically oriented tubers. Flowers are borne on a spadix.
Its flowers release a dung scent detectable by pollinators of the Sphaeroceridae and Chironomidae families. The dominant volatile compounds are l-decene, dimethyl-octadiene, and p-cresol.

Habitat

The species is endemic to Italy, where it grows in low scrub at altitudes of 300 to 400 meters in central Apulia. It is threatened by habitat destruction.

Taxonomy

Within the genus Arum, it belongs to subgenus Arum, section Dioscoridea, and subsection Dischroochiton.
A. apulum is tetraploid, with a chromosome count of 2n = 56.