A. italicum
         D. vulgaris
         A. vulgare

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Unless otherwise noted, all pictures on this site were taken in Pelion, Greece, shown on the map below.

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View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.

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Learn about the Salsify, a beautiful plant, with edible and medicinal properties, that is currently blooming in Pelion.

  Cool Destination

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  Exciting Site

Tour the Volos Archaeological Museum, a pretty century-old building, whose exhibits span a historical period of over 10 millennia!

  Month's Wallpaper

Download a fantastic picture of a rickety jetty in Lefokastron, Pelion, taken by Huw Jones.

Loading image. Please wait Large Cuckoo Pint (Arum italicum) :: Horton :: 2008/04/24 :: © A.Papadopoulos Large Cuckoo Pint (Arum italicum) :: Horton :: 2008/04/24 :: © A.Papadopoulos Large Cuckoo Pint (Arum italicum) :: Horton :: 2008/04/24 :: © A.Papadopoulos Large Cuckoo Pint (Arum italicum) :: Horton :: 2008/04/24 :: © A.Papadopoulos Large Cuckoo Pint (Arum italicum) :: Horton :: 2008/04/24 :: © A.Papadopoulos

Large Cuckoo Pint

Arum italicum

A unique plant, with beautiful, arrow-shaped leaves. The spathes, which are borne between April and May, are creamy white, 15 - 40cm (6 - 15 3/4 in) long, and surround a deep butter-yellow spadix. Attractive green fruits follow in June, slowly turning to orange, as they ripen in mid summer. However, the associated pulp is an irritant, so you had best keep it off your lips and eyes.

According to the "Plants for a Future" Web site, this plant - and other members of the Araceae family - contains calcium oxylate crystals, which cause an extremely unpleasant sensation similar to needles being stuck into the mouth and tongue if they are eaten. However, they are easily neutralized by thoroughly drying or cooking the plant or by steeping it in water.

The same source states that the tuber can be eaten cooked and used as a vegetable. An arrowroot can, also, be extracted from the dried root. The root must be thoroughly dried or cooked before being eaten, because of the calcium oxylate it contains.

"Plants for a Future" also state that there are no known medicinal or other uses associated with the Large Cuckoo Pint.

Finally, the "HYpermedia for Plant Protection" site states that the plant leaves and tubers are  emetic.

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Fact Sheet

Type of plant
Short to medium  perennial.

Flowering Season
April - May.

Known Hazards
Blamey states that, like other arums, this plant has poisonous properties, but doesn't give further details. Fruit pulp is an irritant. Plant contains calcium oxylate crystals, which cause an extremely unpleasant sensation similar to needles being stuck into the mouth and tongue when eaten.

Known Uses
Tuber can be eaten cooked and used as a vegetable. "Plants for a Future" rate this plant 2 out of 5 for edibility and 0 out of 5 for medicinal use (min. 0, max. 5).

Habitat
Moist, generally shaded habitats, hedgerows, scrub and rocky places.

Distribution
Throughout the Mediterranean region.

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Taxonomy


Kingdom: Plantae (Plants); Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular plants); Superdivision: Spermatophyta (Seed plants); Division: Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants); Class: Liliopsida (Monocotyledons); Subclass: Arecidae; Order: Arales; Family: Araceae (Arum family); Genus: Arum; Species: italicum (Italian lords and ladies)

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Acknowledgments

The following sources have been used in preparing this page:

• BLAMEY, M., GREY-WILSON, C. 1993. Collins Guide to the Mediterranean Wild Flowers. Domino Books, Jersey. (See detailed review)
• "Plants for a Future"
• "HYpermedia for Plant Protection"

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