Kalanit
Israel Plant Magazine
October 2014
About Biarum: the genus and species that grow in Israel and its environs
Avi Shmida avi.shmida@gmail.com, the Department of Evolution, Systematics and Behavior, and the Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Givat Ram.
Keywords: rachis, autumn flowering, spathe, Araceae, Biarum
The genus Biarum includes 21 species, which are distributed in the Mediterranean Basin, and flower in autumn. Relative to its size, in Israel there is the largest number of species – 5 species. From the distribution pattern of the species it turns out that the largest variety of Biarum species is to be found in the Levant region, in the area of Israel-Syria, and southern Turkey. The article presents a comprehensive survey of the genus, the species in Israel, and the phenology of the flowering and the appearance of foliage.
Invasive aquatic plants
Jean-Marc Dufour-Dror imdd@netvision.net.il
Keywords: elro'i, Hulah, Yarkon, alien species, Naburiah, fern, Israeli plants, Salvinia natans, Salvinia molesta, Azolla filiculoides, Myriophyllum acquaticum.
We are all familiar with the Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), and the Common Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) – which are invasive alien species in a number of ponds and rivers in Israel. In recent years several additional invasive aquatic plants have been added, which might turn out to be even more difficult to deal with, due to their structure. These include three floating ferns, and one species with roots that suspend to the floor of the water. These species are the Floating Fern (Salvinia natans), The Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta), and the Red Water Fern (Azolla filiculoides), and the Parrot Feather Water-milfoil (Myriophyllum aquaticum). One should become familiar with these species, and report on their whereabouts in the remaining aquatic habitats in Israel.
