Araceae

Calla L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 968 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Temp. & Subarctic Northern Hemisphere.

Descriptions

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

Diagnostic
Creeping helophyte; stem green, rooting at nodes; petiole sheath with long apical ligule; leaf blade cordate; fine venation parallel-pinnate; spathe expanded, elliptic to ovate-lanceolate; flowers bisexual, perigone absent.
General Description
Laticifers present, simple, articulated. HABIT : seasonally dormant herb with repent or submersed, green, rhizomatous stem, rooting at nodes. LEAVES : distichous. PETIOLE : sheath long, with long, free, ligulate apex. BLADE : cordate to broadly cordate, rounded, cuspidate-apiculate; primary lateral veins not differentiated, higher order venation parallel-pinnate. INFLORESCENCE : solitary. PEDUNCLE : erect, as long or longer than petiole. SPATHE : fully expanded, elliptic- or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, shortly decurrent, persistent, white within at anthesis, green without. SPADIX : stipitate, cylindric, obtuse. FLOWERS : bisexual, often male at spadix apex, perigone absent. STAMENS : ca. 6, sometimes more, filaments somewhat flattened, anthers short, connective slender, short, thecae ellipsoid, opposite, dehiscing by longitudinal slit. POLLEN : diaperturate, globose, small (mean 23 µm.), exine foveolate, apertural exine verrucate. GYNOECIUM : shortly ovoid, 1-locular, ovules 6-9, anatropous, oblong, funicles short, placenta basal, style attenuate, stigma small, subhemispheric. BERRY : spheroid-conic, several-seeded, red. SEED : terete-oblong, testa thick, scrobiculate towards chalaza, sulcate-striate towards micropyle, raphe prominent, embryo axile, elongate, endosperm copious.
Distribution
Temp. & Subarctic Northern Hemisphere.
Habitat
In forest swamps, often between forest margins and raised bogs, often with Sphagnum, up to 1270m alt.; creeping helophyte in streams and ponds.
[CATE]

Sources

  • CATE Araceae

    • Haigh, A., Clark, B., Reynolds, L., Mayo, S.J., Croat, T.B., Lay, L., Boyce, P.C., Mora, M., Bogner, J., Sellaro, M., Wong, S.Y., Kostelac, C., Grayum, M.H., Keating, R.C., Ruckert, G., Naylor, M.F. and Hay, A., CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0