Arum is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region. Frequently called "arum lilies", they are not closely related to the true lilies Lilium.
They are rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial plants growing to 20-60 cm tall, with sagittate (arrowhead-shaped) leaves 10-55 cm long. The flowers are produced in a spadix, surrounded by a 10-40 cm long, coloured spathe, which may be white, yellow, brown or purple; some species are scented, others not. The fruit is a cluster of bright orange or red berries.
All parts of the plants are poisonous, containing significant amounts of calcium oxalate as raphides.
Species include
- Arum albispathum
- Arum alpinariae
- Arum alpinum
- Arum apulum
- Arum balansanum
- Arum besserianum
- Arum byzantinum
- Arum concinnatum
- Arum cornutum
- Arum creticum
- Arum cylindraceum
- Arum cyrenaicum Fruits
- Arum dioscoridis
- Arum dracunculus
- Arum elongatum
- Arum euxinum
- Arum gratum
- Arum hainesii
- Arum hygrophilum
- Arum idaeum
- Arum italicum - Italian Lords-and-Ladies (or Cuckoo Pint)
- Arum jacquemontii
- Arum korolkowii
- Arum lucanum
- Arum maculatum - Cuckoo Pint
- Arum megobrebi
- Arum nigrum
- Arum orientale - Aronstab
- Arum palaestinum
- Arum pictum
- Arum polyphyllum
- Arum purpureospathum
- Arum rupicola
- Arum sintenisii
- Arum triphyllum