Dear Tony The really crucial question is when do your plants break growth. Arum italicum emerges in late summer/early fall and remains in leaf until latel June/July. Occasionally the new leaves will emerge while a few tattered leaves of the previous season remain. Arum maculatum emerges in winter to late winter (it's JUST beginning to show in southern England) and is generally gone completely by late May. I've NEVER seen a truve A. maculatum with silver veining; always either plain green or variously spotted. Your plants are probably rither A. italicum ssp. italicum (which is HORRIBLY variable) or hybrids between this and A. maculatum. Pete ---------------------------- Peter Boyce Herbarium Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond Surrey TW9 3AE U.K. Tel. + 44 - (0)181 332 5207 Fax. + 44 - (0)181 332 5298 email. p.boyce@lion.rbgkew.org.uk