Calla palustris L.
Wild calla, water arum, wild-calla
These North American native plants inhabit swamps, seasonally flooded bogs, stream banks, ditches, quagmires, and muddy lake shores. Plants: 4-16" (10-40 cm) in size, partially submerged. They have a weak odor that is unpleasant to people, but that flies and beetles and even snails find appealing. Plants can form thick colonies. Leaves: Leaves emerge on stalks up to 16" (40 cm), above a submersed rootstalk. Leaves are heart-shaped (ovate), waxy, smooth, and smooth-edged, with edges tending to curl inward. There is a single leaf, 1¾-4½" (5-12 cm) long, atop each stalk. Flowers: A single white, waxy, heart-shaped “petal,” attached to the stalk at its base, appears to be the flower, but this is really a spathe, a specialized protective leaf. The actual flowerhead, called the spadix, is about 1" (2.5 cm) long and ½" (1.3 cm) around, also whitish, and covered with tiny white/green flowers that lack petals. The upper part of the flowerhead has unisexual staminate flowers, while the lower part is bisexual. The flower is supported on a stem 3-12" (7.6-30 cm) above the water line. They appear from June to July. Fruits: Irregular, angled, but roughly pear-shaped berries up to ½" (1.3 cm) around, and bright red. Edibility: Poisonous. Online References:
Calla palustris at the Central Yukon Species Inventory Project Calla palustris on www.luontoportti.com Calla palustris at Minnesota Wildflowers Calla palustris on gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org 12/12/2020 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts 5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts Calla palustris description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts 6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts 6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts 6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts Range: Zones 2-6:
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