Helicodiceros muscivorus

Helicodiceros muscivorus, the dead horse arum lily,H. muscivorus at International Plant Names IndexD. crinitus at Lemaire, Charles. Flore des serres et des jardins de l’Europe (1849) is an ornamental plant native to Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearic Islands. It is the only species in the genus Helicodiceros.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant FamiliesS. Castroviejo et al. (eds.) (2008). Flora Iberica 18: 1-420. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.Altervista Flora Italiana, Gigaro mangiamosche, Helicodiceros muscivorus (L. Fil.) Engler Within the family Araceae the plant is part of the subfamily Aroideae. The flowers of H. muscivorus smell like rotting meat, attracting carrion-seeking blow flies which act as pollinators. One of a rare group of thermogenic plants, the dead horse arum can raise its temperature by thermogenesis. This helps to lure flies into the plant to contact its pollen.Stensmyr, Marcus C., et al. “Pollination: Rotting Smell of Dead- Horse Arum Florets.” Nature 420.6916 (2002): 625-6. The plant still is being studied for the way it is able to produce its own heat without being necessarily dependent of ambient temperature.

No narrative description available for this taxon yet.