Calla

Calla (bog arum, marsh calla, wild calla, squaw claw, and water-arum[2]) is a genus of flowering plant in the family Araceae, containing the single species Calla palustris.

For other uses, see Calla (disambiguation).

Calla
Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Monocots
Order:
Alismatales
Family:
Araceae
Subfamily:
Calloideae
Genus:
Calla

Species:
C. palustris
Binomial name
Calla palustris
Synonyms[1]
  • Callaria Raf.
  • Aroides Heist. ex Fabr.
  • Provenzalia Adans.
  • Callaion Raf.
  • Callaion palustris (L.) Raf.
  • Provenzalia palustris (L.) Raf.
  • Calla ovatifolia Gilib.
  • Calla cordifolia Stokes
  • Callaion bispatha (Raf.) Raf.
  • Callaion brevis (Raf.) Raf.
  • Callaion heterophylla (Raf.) Raf.
  • Provenzalia bispatha Raf.
  • Provenzalia brevis Raf.
  • Provenzalia heterophyla Raf.
  • Dracunculus paludosus Montandon
  • Calla generalis E.H.L.Krause
  • Calla brevis (Raf.) Á.Löve & D.Löve

Description

It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant growing in bogs and ponds. The leaves are rounded to heart-shaped, 6–12 cm (2 1⁄4–4 3⁄4 in) long on a 10–20 cm (4–8 in) petiole, and 4–12 cm (1 1⁄2–4 3⁄4 in) broad. The greenish-yellow inflorescence is produced on a spadix about 4–6 cm (1 1⁄2–2 1⁄4 in) long, enclosed in a white spathe. The fruit is a cluster of red berries, each berry containing several seeds.[3][4]

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.[5][6][7]

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).[1][8][9][10]

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.

See also

References
  1. "Calla". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  2. Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004) ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, p. 62.
  3. Thompson, Sue A. (2000). "Calla palustris". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). 22. New York and Oxford – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  4. Li, Heng; Boyce, Peter C.; Bogner, Josef. "Calla palustris". Flora of China. 23 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. A Dictionary of Flowering Plants and Ferns - JC Willis
  6. "Calla palustris". Plants for a Future.
  7. "Wild calla-Calla palustris-Poisonous plants". Pharmacognosy.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Sabirova, N.D. & Sabirov, R.N. (2011). New and rare vascular plant species of Northern Sakhalin. Byulleten' Glavnogo Botaniceskogo Sada 197: 80–86.
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