Arum italicum explained

Arum italicum is a species of flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the family Araceae, also known as Italian arum and Italian lords-and-ladies.[1] It is native to the British Isles[2] 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.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Description

It grows 1- high, with equal spread. It blooms in spring with white flowers that turn to showy red fruit.[1]

In 1778, Lamarck noticed that the inflorescence of this plant produces heat.[8] [9]

Leaves, fruits and rhizomes contain compounds that make them poisonous. Notably, the plants are rich in oxalates. The ingestion of the plant may be fatal, as it affects the kidneys, digestive tract, and brain.[10]

Cultivation

It is cultivated as an ornamental plant for traditional and woodland shade gardens.[1] Subspecies italicum (the one normally grown in horticulture) has distinctive pale veins on the leaves, whilst subspecies neglectum (known as late cuckoo pint[11]) has faint pale veins, and the leaves may have dark spots.[12] Nonetheless, intermediates between these two subspecies also occur, and their distinctiveness has been questioned.[13] [14] 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. 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.[15]

Invasive species

Arum italicum can be invasive in some areas, particularly in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.[16] [17] [18] 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.[19]

Taxonomy

Within the genus, A. italicum belongs to subgenus Arum, section Arum.[20]

Arum italicum may hybridize with Arum maculatum.[21] 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]

A. italicum generally has a chromosome count of 2n = 84, except that a few subspecies (such as subsp. albispathum) have 2n = 56.[20]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/y760/arum-italicum.aspx MBG- hort.
  2. Web site: Arum italicum Mill. . BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 . P.A. Stroh . T. A. Humphrey . R.J. Burkmar . O.L. Pescott . D.B. Roy . K.J. Walker . 1 May 2023 .
  3. Web site: Arum italicum Mill. . Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew .
  4. Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  5. Castroviejo, S. & al. (eds.) (2008). Flora Iberica 18: 1-420. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.
  6. Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  7. http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Arum%20italicum.png Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution map
  8. Meeuse, B.J.D. 1975. Films of liquid crystals as an aid in pollination studies. In Pollination and Dispersal, ed N.B.M. Brantjes, H.F. Linskens, pp 19-20. Nijmegen. The Netherlands: Dep. Botany, Univ. Nijmegen.
  9. https://archive.org/details/physiologyofplan03pfef/page/372 Wilhelm Pfeffer, The Physiology of Plants: A Treatise Upon the Metabolism and ..., Volume 3
  10. Prakash Raju . K. N. J. . Goel . Kishen . Anandhi . D. . Pandit . Vinay R. . Surendar . R. . Sasikumar . M. . Wild tuber poisoning: Arum maculatum – A rare case report . International Journal of Critical Illness and Injury Science . 2018 . 8 . 2 . 111–114 . 10.4103/IJCIIS.IJCIIS_9_18 . free . 29963416 . 6018264 . 2229-5151.
  11. https://www.aphotoflora.com/mon_arum_italicum_neglectum_late_cuckoo_pint.html Late cuckoo pint
  12. Taxonomy and Nomenclature in Some Species of the Genus Arum L . C T Prime . Watsonia . 5 . 2 . 1961 . 106–9.
  13. Arum - a Decade of Change. Boyce. P.C.. 2002 . Aroideana. 29 . 132–139.
  14. New Observations on Arum italicum. Boyce. P.C.. 2006 . The Plantsman. 5 . 1. 36–39.
  15. Web site: RHS Plant Selector - Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'. 19 February 2020.
  16. http://ext100.wsu.edu/clark/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2014/02/ArumItalicum.pdf Clark County Master Gardeners
  17. http://www.nps.gov/cue/epmt/products/Arum%20italicum%202012%20NCREPMT.pdf National Park Service, Exotic Plant Management Team
  18. Web site: Invasive Italian arum. 2021-02-13. West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District. en-US.
  19. Web site: Control Options for Italian Arum . Whatcom County, Washington . Whatcom County Noxious Weed Board . 18 February 2024.
  20. Book: Boyce, Peter . 1993 . The Genus Arum . London . HMSO . 0-11-250085-4 .
  21. Plantsman v13:3, p142, September 2014; Royal Horticultural Society

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Arum italicum".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.