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[Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004) ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, p. 62.]).
Description
It is a
rhizome herbaceous perennial plant growing in
and
. 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
.
The plant is very 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.[A Dictionary of Flowering Plants and Ferns - JC Willis]
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.
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).
[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.][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.][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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