Calla Explained

Calla is a genus of flowering plant in the family Araceae, containing the single species Calla palustris (bog arum, marsh calla, wild calla, squaw claw, and water-arum^[1]).

Description

It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant growing in bogs and ponds. The leaves are rounded to heart-shaped, long on a petiole, and broad. The greenish-yellow inflorescence is produced on a spadix about long, enclosed in a white spathe. The fruit is a cluster of red berries, each berry containing several seeds.

The plant is very poisonous when fresh due to its high oxalic acid content, but the rhizome (like that of Caladium, Colocasia, and Arum) is edible after drying, grinding, leaching and boiling.^{[2] [3]}

Taxonomy

The genus formerly also included a number of other species, which have now been transferred to the separate genus Zantedeschia. These plants from tropical Africa, however, are still often termed "calla lilies" but should not be confused with C. palustris.^[4]

Distribution

It is native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in central, eastern and northern Europe (France and Norway eastward), northern Asia and northern North America (Alaska, Canada, and northeastern contiguous United States).^{[5] [6] [7]}

References

• Book: Blanchan, Neltje . Neltje Blanchan . Wild Flowers: An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors . 2002 . Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Wild Flowers: An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors .

External links

• • • • Missouri Gardening, plant finder, Gardening Help
• North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension
• Connecticut Botanical Society, Wild Calla (Water Arum)
  • University Botanic Gardens at Ljubljana

Notes and References

1. Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004) ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, p. 62.
2. A Dictionary of Flowering Plants and Ferns - JC Willis
3. Web site: Wild calla-Calla palustris-Poisonous plants. Pharmacognosy .
4. Web site: 2024-04-03 . Calla Lily Care: Grow Stunning Blooms All Season Long . 2024-06-03 . www.plantgardener.com . en-us.
5. 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.
6. Herkert, J.R. & Ebinger, J.E. (eds.) (2002). Endangered and Threatened Species of Illinois: status and distribution 1: 1–161. Endangered Species Protection Board, Springfield, Illinois.
7. Sabirova, N.D. & Sabirov, R.N. (2011). New and rare vascular plant species of Northern Sakhalin. Byulleten' Glavnogo Botaniceskogo Sada 197: 80–86.