All Topics  
Zantedeschia

 
Zantedeschia

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Zantedeschia
 
 
  Topics Zantedeschia Topic Home

Zantedeschia is a genus of herbaceous
Herbaceous

A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaf and stem that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. A herbaceous plant may be Annual plant, Biennial plant or Perennial plant....
 flowering plant
Flowering plant

The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte....
s in the family Araceae
Araceae

Araceae is a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe or leaf-like hood....
, native to southern Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
 from South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
 north to Malawi
Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast and Mozambique, which surrounds it on the east, south and west....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Zantedeschia'
Start a new discussion about 'Zantedeschia'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Zantedeschia Calla Lilly1
Calla Lily
Zantedeschia is a genus of herbaceous
Herbaceous

A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaf and stem that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. A herbaceous plant may be Annual plant, Biennial plant or Perennial plant....
 flowering plant
Flowering plant

The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte....
s in the family Araceae
Araceae

Araceae is a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe or leaf-like hood....
, native to southern Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
 from South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
 north to Malawi
Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast and Mozambique, which surrounds it on the east, south and west....
. The name of the genus was given as a tribute to Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi
Giovanni Zantedeschi

Giovanni Zantedeschi was an Italy physician and an important Italian botanist.He studied in Verona and later in Padova, where he graduated with honors, in Medicine and Surgery....
 (1773-1846) by the German botanist Kurt Sprengel
Kurt Sprengel

Curt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel was a Germany botanist and physician....
 (1766 - 1833). Common names include Arum lily for Z. aethiopica, calla, and calla lily for Z. elliottiana and Z. rehmannii although it is neither a true lily (Liliaceae
Liliaceae

The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes....
), nor Arum
Arum

Arum is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region....
 or Calla
Calla

Calla is a genus of flowering plant in the family Araceae, containing the single species Calla palustris. It is native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in central, eastern and northern Europe , northern Asia and northern North America ....
 (related genera in Araceae
Araceae

Araceae is a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe or leaf-like hood....
). It is also often erroneously spelled as "cala lily". It has often been used in many paintings, and is visible in many of Diego Rivera's
Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera was born Diego Mar?a de la Concepci?n Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodr?guez in Guanajuato City....
 works of art (see The Flower Vendor, amongst others).

The Zantedeschia are rhizomatous
Rhizome

In botany, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal plant stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes....
 herbaceous
Herbaceous

A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaf and stem that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. A herbaceous plant may be Annual plant, Biennial plant or Perennial plant....
 perennial plant
Perennial plant

A perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants....
s growing to 1-2.5 m tall with leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
 15-45 cm long. The inflorescence is a showy white, yellow or pink spathe shaped like a funnel with a yellow, central, finger-like spadix.

The Zantedeschia species are very poisonous, capable of killing livestock and children. "All parts of the plant are toxic, and produce irritation and swelling of the mouth and throat, acute vomiting and diarrhoea."

Species


Eight species are currently recognised:
  • Zantedeschia aethiopica
    Zantedeschia aethiopica

    Zantedeschia aethiopica is a species in the family Araceae, native to southern Africa in Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland. It is also commonly known as the Arum lily, although the plant is neither a true Arum nor a lily , but so named as the flowers resemble those of the arums....
      (L.) Spreng. - giant white arum lily or common arum lily
  • Zantedeschia albomaculata (Hook.) Baill. - spotted arum lily
  • Zantedeschia elliottiana
    Zantedeschia elliottiana

    Zantedeschia elliottiana Golden Arum Lily is a herbaceous ornamental plant in the Araceae family....
      (W.Watson) Engl. - - yellow or golden arum lily
  • Zantedeschia jucunda Letty
  • Zantedeschia odorata P.L.Perry
  • Zantedeschia pentlandii (R.Whyte ex W.Watson) Wittm.
  • Zantedeschia rehmannii
    Zantedeschia rehmannii

    Zantedeschia rehmanii Pink Arum Lily, Pink Calla is a herbaceous ornamental plant in the Araceae family....
      Engl. - pink arum lily
  • Zantedeschia valida (Letty) Y.Singh


Cultivation


All species are endemic to southern Africa. Z. aethiopica grows naturally in marshy areas and is only deciduous
Deciduous

Deciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe....
 when water becomes scarce. It grows continuously when watered and fed regularly and can survive periods of minor frosts. Z. aethiopica is a very strong and sturdy plant, being able to grow in many soils and habitats, multiplying by rhizome-offsets; it is naturalised and regarded as a weed throughout much of the world. Z. odorata is a rare species, resembling Z. aethiopica, but deciduous and smelling like freesia
Freesia

Freesia is a genus of 14-16 species of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to Africa. Of the 14 species, 12 are native to Cape Province, South Africa, the remaining two to tropical Africa, one species extending north of the equator to Sudan....
, endemic to a few localities in South Africa. Z. albomaculata is a widespread and variable species, growing from South Africa north to Kenya
Kenya

The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the northeast, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, with the Indian Ocean running along the southeast border....
, varying in shades of white to cream and pink to orange-shades. Z. elliotiana is known from horticultural sources only and is probably of hybrid origin. Z. jucunda and Z. pentlandii are rare species with beautiful large yellow showy flowers. Z. rehmannii is a pink-flowered species with sword shaped leaves. All zantedeschias produce large, showy flowers spathes
Spadix

In botany, a spadix is a type of raceme: an inflorescence with small flowers crowded on a thickened, fleshy axis. The term is applied to certain monocotyledons, especially members of the Family Araceae called arums or aroids....
 and are often grown both as ornamental plant
Ornamental plant

Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower garden or as house plants. Most commonly they are grown for the display of their flowers. Other common ornamental features include leaves, scent, fruit, Plant stem and bark....
s and for cut flowers. Zantedeschia are hardy plants, but some are more winter-hardy than others. The white Zantedeschia aethiopica and some of its relatives can survive at minimum winter temperatures below -23 °C (USDA
United States Department of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive departments responsible for developing and executing Federal government of the United States policy on farming, agriculture, and food....
 Zone 6) and many others can be grown in even warmer areas where all the ground does not freeze (USDA
United States Department of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive departments responsible for developing and executing Federal government of the United States policy on farming, agriculture, and food....
 Zone 7). Some species are less hardy and can only survive winter temperatures to -12 °C (Zones 8). This plant must be grown as tender bulb
Bulb

A bulb is an underground vertical shoot that has modified leaf that are used as food storage organs by a dormancy plant.A bulb's leaf bases generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions....
s or houseplant
Houseplant

A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as House and offices. Houseplants are commonly grown for decorative purposes and health reasons such as indoor air purification....
s in cooler areas.

In the South-West of Western Australia
Southwest Australia

Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia. The region has a wet-winter, dry-summer Mediterranean climate, one of five such regions in the world....
, Z. aethiopica was introduced for horticulture. It has become a widespread and conspicuous weed of watercourses, heath, and wetter pastures.

The so-called white calla is derived from Z. aethiopica. All varieties with flowers with shades of yellow, orange, red, purple are mainly derived from Z. albomaculata, Z. pentlandii and Z. rehmanni.

External links

  • Snijder, R.C. 2004. Genetics of Erwinia resistance in Zantedeschia: impact of plastome-genome incompatibility. PhD thesis Wageningen University. ISBN 90-5808-975-4 - p. 112. full-text copy: http://www.library.wur.nl/wda/dissertations/dis3535.pdf