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Eminium spiculatum (Blume) Schott

Introduction & Overview

Common and Scientific Names

  • Scientific Name: Eminium spiculatum (Blume) Schott
  • Common Name: None widely documented

Quick Facts

  • Origin: Eastern Mediterranean (Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt) to northern Iran
  • Features: Spathe outer surface pale with brown veins; inner lamina blackish‑brown, granulated; short, black appendix on the spadix

Taxonomy & Classification

  • Genus: Eminium
  • Botanical Background: Described as Arum spiculatum by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1836; genus Eminium was erected by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott in 1855 with E. spiculatum as the type species

Natural Habitat & Distribution

  • Geographical Range: Occurs on coastal plains, mid‑elevation mountains and the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, extending through the Levant into northern Iran.
  • Environment: Thrives in open fields, waste ground and rocky soils; tolerates well‑drained, poor substrates in Mediterranean climates.

Morphological Characteristics

Leaves

  • Petiolate leaves
  • Petiole sheathing and often purplish
  • Early leaves entire, later leaves divided into secondary segments

Inflorescence (Spadix & Spathe)

  • Spathe has a tubular base equal in length to the lamina
  • Outer surface pale with brown veins, inner surface blackish‑brown and granulated
  • Spadix appendix short and black

Growth Habit

  • Terrestrial perennial; grows from a globular corm; typically up to 0.3 m tall

Cultivation & Care

Light Requirements

  • Full sun to partial shade, mimicking its open‑field habitat

Watering & Humidity

  • Moderate, consistent moisture; corm rot can occur if waterlogged

Soil & Potting Mix

  • Well‑drained, rocky or sandy mix; avoid heavy, water‑retentive media

Temperature & Fertilizer

  • Hardy to UK zone 8 (down to about –12 °C)

Propagation Methods

Division and Cuttings

  • Lift and divide corms in dormancy to create new plants

Seeds

  • Possible in spring under warm, moist conditions; less common in cultivation

Common Pests & Diseases

Typical Issues

  • Aphids may infest young shoots; monitor and treat early
  • Root Rots from poor drainage and prolonged soil saturation

Treatment Recommendations

  • Spray foliage with insecticidal soap or neem oil emulsion every 7–14 days
  • Repot in fresh, well‑draining mix after trimming diseased roots

Notable Traits & Uses

  • Consumed by Egyptian Bedouins after boiling to neutralize calcium oxalate irritants
  • Contains proteolytic enzymes and glycosides with reported anti‑inflammatory and anticancer properties
  • Traditional use for rheumatism and respiratory ailments

Conservation & Availability

Wild Population Status

  • No global conservation assessment is published

Market Availability

  • Regionally stable across its native range and is rarely offered outside specialist geophyte collections

References & Resources

Further Reading

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