Biarum angustatum
Many of the Arum family have similar look: what seems like a flower is actually an inflorescence. the big purple "petal" is called Spathe, and the stem in the middle is called Rachis.
the spathe is wrapped around the rachis, and the flowers are tiny and grow on the lower part of the rachis, inside a small "cup" created by the spathe.
the whole thing stinks like crap, to attract flies.
the fly comes, crawls into the cup.
there are 3 types of flowers:
the upper ones are male flowers
then there are some sterile flowers that act as a barrier
and then - the female flowers.
he fly crawls inside before the male flowers are fertile. it gets stuck and the sterile flower prevent it from going out.
some time later (maybe hours, maybe days) the male flowers open and the fly crawls out - gets covered with pollen.
next Biarum it will enter - again, it will get stuck in the "cup", covered with pollen from the previous flower, and pollinate the female flowers inside.
The autumnal "brother" of the Arum, Biarum angustatum is a short geophyte with flowers coming right out of the ground. the leaves will sprout later in the winter, they are narrow. the inflorescence is typical for the Arum family - a large dark spathe surrounding a long rachis. the flowers grow on the base of the rachis, in a closed "cup" created by the spathe. male flowers are above, female flowers below. the inflorescence have fowl smell, and it attracts flies that get caught in the "cup", get.. more
