Common Dracunculus

Description:

This species is distributed in southcentral Europe to west and southwest Turkey and northeast Algeria. It is native to the Balkans, to Mediterranean Europe, Greece, the isle of Crete and the Aegean Islands, all the way to southwest Turkey. Αs the inflorescence unfolds, it reveals a long, black appendage from the center, known as the spadix, which can reach a total length of 135 cm (!!!) enveloped by a large very deep purple-black bract, the spathe, which can reach a total length of 125 cm (!!!). What looks like one flower is in reality an inflorescence of a spadix, bearing numerous flowers. In most plants the inflorescence is not longer than 40 or 50 cm – still impressive enough! The actual flowers - both male and female - are hidden deep inside the spathe, which features a bulbous chamber. The striking beauty of this plant can be a little shocking: like many Araceae the mature inflorescence spreads a nauseous dungy rotten meaty odor. The nasty smell of rotting meat is designed to attract flies for pollination. Fortunately the smell usually lasts for only one day. The potential pollinators (mostly colorful shiny carrion flies, but Staphylinid and Scarabidinid beetles have also been reported) enter the spathe tube and gain access to the flowers by descending the spadix appendix. Flies attracted by the smell slide down the smooth surface of the spathe, and they become trapped for a day, not by hairs or bristles like in many other Araceae, but by the smooth surface that prevents them from climbing upwards. During this time they crawl over the stigmas, dusting them with pollen from earlier traps. In the next days the anthers of the male flowers dehisce, the spathe withers, and the flies are freed to visit another inflorescence and continue their role of pollinators.

Habitat:

Dracunculus vulgaris is a geophyte with tuberous roots. It is a stenomediterranean species, distributed in scerophyllous and mixed forests, maquis, garrigue, undisturbed olive groves, waste land, dry ditches and waste ground. Spotted in Enipeas canyon, near village Litochoro (Mount Olympus, Greece).