Lords and Ladies (Arum maculatum)















































I guess many of us struggle with Latin specific names. They are so much harder to remember than the English common name.

Specific names are important however and this plant really shows why that is so. This is lords and ladies in my standard reference guide but it also known as wild arum and also as cuckoo-pint. Even worse, it is also known as the arum lily. It is, however, specifically known as Arum maculatum.

Local English names can cause so much confusion. With birds there is the 'official' list of English names but not so with flora. The specific name is international, everywhere in the world where this plant occurs it will be specifically known as Arum maculatum.

So Arum maculatum is in flower along our hedgerows and woodlands in spring. It is a very common plant and can be seen on chalk soils right across the county.

So call it what you will, my preference is wild arum, my field guide calls it lords and ladies, but we can at least agree on Arum maculatum!

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