Arum italicum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Alismatales
Family:	Araceae
Genus:	Arum
Species:	A. italicum
Binomial name
Arum italicum Mill.[1]
Subspecies[1]
List Arum italicum subsp. albispathum (Steven ex Ledeb.) Prime Arum italicum subsp. canariense (Webb & Berthel.) P.C.Boyce Arum italicum subsp. italicum Arum italicum subsp. neglectum (F.Towns.) Prime
Synonyms[1]
Species Arisarum italicum (Mill.) Raf. Arum maculatum var. italicum (Mill.) O.Targ.Tozz. subsp. albispathum Arum albispathum Steven ex Ledeb. Arum orientale var. albispathum (Steven ex Ledeb.) Engl. Arum orientale subsp. albispathum (Steven ex Ledeb.) Nyman subsp. canariense Arum canariense Webb & Berthel. Arum italicum var. canariense (Webb & Berthel.) Engl. subsp. italicum Arum divaricatum Dulac Arum facchinii Porta ex Hruby Arum italicum var. concolor Beck Arum italicum var. facchinii (Porta ex Hruby) Engl. Arum italicum subsp. gaibolense Mattei Arum italicum var. hercegovinum Beck Arum italicum subvar. immaculatum (DC.) Engl. Arum italicum var. immaculatum DC. Arum italicum var. intermedium Mutel Arum italicum var. maculatum Hoschedé Arum italicum subsp. majoricense (Chodat) O.Bolòs, Masalles & Vigo Arum italicum f. majoricense (Chodat) Mus, Pericás & Rosselló Arum italicum var. parvulum Borhidi Arum italicum f. purpurascens Pamp. Arum italicum var. yvesii Briq. Arum maculatum f. parvulum (Borhidi) Terpó Arum majoricense Chodat Arum modicense Sprenger Arum numidicum Schott Arum ponticum Schott Arum provinciale Sommier ex Hruby subsp. neglectum Arum italicum subvar. foucaudii (Corb.) Engl. Arum italicum subvar. obtusilobum Engl. Arum italicum subvar. punctatum Engl. Arum italicum var. foucaudii Corb. Arum italicum var. neglectum F.Towns. Arum neglectum (F.Towns.) Ridl.

Arum italicum is a species of flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the family Araceae, also known as Italian arum and Italian lords-and-ladies.^[2] It is native to the British Isles^[3] and much of the Mediterranean region, the Caucasus, Canary Islands, Madeira and northern Africa. It is also naturalized in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Argentina, North Island New Zealand and scattered locations in North America.^{[1][4][5][6][7]}

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2024)

Arum italicum grows 30–46 cm (1–1.5 ft) high, with equal spread. It blooms in spring with white flowers that turn to showy red fruit.^[2]

By relative inflorescence height, Arum species are divided into "cryptic" species, whose inflorescences are borne on a short peduncle amid or below the leaves, and "flag" species, whose inflorescences are above leaf level at the end of long peduncles. A. italicum is a cryptic species.^[8]

In 1778, Lamarck noticed that the inflorescence of this plant produces heat.^[9][10]

A. italicum generally has a chromosome count of 2n = 84, except that a few subspecies (such as subsp. albispathum) have 2n = 56.^[11]

Within the genus, A. italicum belongs to subgenus Arum, section Arum.^[11]

Arum italicum may hybridize with Arum maculatum.^[12] The status of two subspecies currently included in Arum italicum, subsp. albispathum (Crimea to the Caucasus) and subsp. canariense (Macaronesia), is uncertain and they may represent independent species.^[13]

This section needs expansion with: habitat details. You can help by adding to it. (October 2024)

Arum italicum nativity by subspecies is as follows:^[1]

• A. italicum subsp. italicum is native to Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Bulgaria, Corse, Cyprus, France, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Kriti, Krym, Morocco, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, and Yugoslavia.
• A. italicum subsp. albispathum is native to Krym, North Caucasus, Transcaucasus, and Turkey.
• A. italicum subsp. canariense is native to Azores, Canary Islands, and Madeira.
• A. italicum subsp. neglectum is native to Algeria, France, Great Britain, Morocco, and Spain.

Subspecies italicum has a multi-continental introduced presence, including in northeast Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, north New Zealand, and the U.S. states of Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New York, and North Carolina.^[1]

Arum italicum can be invasive in some areas, particularly in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.^[14][15][16] It is very difficult to control once established. Herbicides kill the foliage of the plant, but may not affect the tuber. Manual control may spread the plants through the dissemination of soil contaminated with bulb and root fragments.^[17]

In Croatia, its corms were eaten in times of famine.^[18][19][20]

Leaves, fruits and rhizomes contain compounds that make them poisonous. Notably, the plants are rich in oxalates. The ingestion of the tuber may be fatal, as it affects the kidneys, digestive tract, and brain.^[21]

It is cultivated as an ornamental plant for traditional and woodland shade gardens.^[2] Subspecies italicum (the one normally grown in horticulture) has distinctive pale veins on the leaves, whilst subspecies neglectum (known as late cuckoo pint^[22]) has faint pale veins, and the leaves may have dark spots.^[23] Nonetheless, intermediates between these two subspecies also occur, and their distinctiveness has been questioned.^[13][24] Some gardeners use this arum to underplant with Hosta, as they produce foliage sequentially: when the Hosta withers away, the arum replaces it in early winter, maintaining ground-cover.^[14] Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, of which A. italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[25]

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  Bulbs
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  Mature leaves
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  Spathe
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  Ripe berries
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  Botanical illustration
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  Leaves of cultivar 'Marmoratum'

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arum italicum.

• Missouri Botanical Garden - Kemper Center for Home Gardening - Arum italicum
• Invasive Plant Atlas Italian arum - Arum italicum