Araceae
Zantedeschia

Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.

First published in Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 3: 765 (1826)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Africa. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Distribution

Native to:

Cape Provinces, Eswatini, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Northern Provinces

Introduced into:

Albania, Algeria, Assam, Azores, Bermuda, Brazil Northeast, California, Canary Is., Colombia, Corse, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, East Aegean Is., East Himalaya, Ecuador, Great Britain, Greece, Hawaii, India, Ireland, Italy, Madeira, Mexico Southwest, Morocco, Mozambique, New South Wales, New Zealand North, Nicaragua, Norfolk Is., NW. Balkan Pen., Oregon, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Réunion, Sardegna, Sicilia, Society Is., South Australia, Spain, St.Helena, Tasmania, Trinidad-Tobago, Tristan da Cunha, Tunisia, Türkiye, Victoria, Western Australia, Zimbabwe

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Barina, Z., Rakaj, M. & Pifkó, D. (2013). Contributions to the flora of Albania, 4. Willdenowia 43: 165-184.
  • Castroviejo, S. & al. (eds.) (2008). Flora Iberica 18: 1-420. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.
  • Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2013). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 5: 1-451. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • El Makni, R. & Hédi El Aouni, M. (2012). Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae) a new species naturalised in the Northwest of Tunisia. Flora Mediterranea 22: 191-196.
  • Galanos, C.J. (2015). The alien flora of terrestrial and marine ecosystems of Rodos island (SE Aegean), Greece. Willdenowia 45: 261-278.
  • Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
  • 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.
  • Gremmen, N. & Halbertsma, R.L. (2009). Alien plants and their impact on Tristan da Cunha 2: 1-307. Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP).
  • Haigh, A. & Boyce, P.C. (2012). Flora Zambesiaca 12(1): 1-54. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Hammel, B.E. & al. (2003). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica 2: 1-694. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
  • Muer, T., Sauerbier, H. & Cabrara Calixto, F. (2020). Die Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Madeiras: 1-792. Verlag und Versandbuchhandlung Andreas Kleinsteuber.
  • Orchard, A.E. (ed.) (1994). Oceanic Islands 1. Flora of Australia 49: 1-681. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
  • Parslow, R. & Bennallick, I. (2017). The new flora of the Isles of Scilly: 1-539. Parslow Press.
  • Rosati, L. & al. (2012). Un aggiornamento alla flora del Cilento e della Campania. Informatore Botanico Italiano 44: 111-119.
  • Sasikala, K., Vajravelu, E. & Daniel, P. (2019). Fascicles of Flora of India 29: 1-357. Botanical Survey of India, New Delhi.
  • Schäfer, H. (2021). Flora of the Azores a field guide: 1-445. Margraf Publishers GmbH.
  • Sharief, M.U. (ed.) (2024). Flora of India 28: 1-764. Botanical Survey of India.
  • Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.
  • Stevens, W.D., Ulloa U., C., Pool, A. & Montiel, O.M. (2001). Flora de Nicaragua. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 85: i-xlii, 1-2666. Missouri Botanical Garden.
  • Vladimirov, V., Dane, F. & Kit Tan (2013). New floristic records in the Balkans: 21. Phytologia Balcanica 19: 131-157.
  • Welsh, S.L. (1998). Flora Societensis: 1-420. E.P.S. Inc. Utah.
  • de Salas, MF, Baker, ML (2022). A Census of the Vascular Plants of Tasmania, including Macquarie Island: 1-161. Tasmanian Herbarium, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart. https://flora.tmag.tas.gov.au/resources/census/.

Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

  • Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Kew Species Profiles

  • Belmont, M.A. & Metcalfe, C.D. (2003). Feasibility of using ornamental plants ( Zantedeschia aethiopica) in subsurface flow treatment wetlands to remove nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand and nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants - a laboratory-scale study. Ecological Engineering 21: 233-247.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds) (2003). Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria (Strelitzia vol. 14), p. 972.
  • Hutchings, A., Haxton Scott, A., Lewis, G. & Cunningham, A. (1996). Zulu Medicinal Plants: an Inventory. University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg.
  • Letty, C. (1973). The genus Zantedeschia. Bothalia. 11: 5-26.
  • Singh, Y., van Wyk, A.E. & Baijnath, H. (1995). Know your arums: an easy guide to identify members of the genus Zantedeschia. Veld & Flora 81: 54-55.
  • South African National Biodiversity Institute's plant information website: www.plantzafrica.com
  • van Wyk, B.-E., van Oudtshoorn, B. & Gericke, N. (2009).  Medicinal Plants of South Africa.  Briza Publications, Pretoria.

CATE Araceae

  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist.
  • Letty, C. 1973. The genus Zantedeschia. Bothalia. 11: 5-26.

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • (2023). https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.589.2.4. epublication.
  • Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Barina, Z., Rakaj, M. & Pifkó, D. (2013). Contributions to the flora of Albania, 4. Willdenowia 43: 165-184.
  • Britton, N. (1918). Flora of Bermuda: 1-585. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
  • Brown, L.C. (1982). The Flora and Fauna of St Helena: 1-88. Land Resources Development Centre, Surbiton, England.
  • Castroviejo, S. & al. (eds.) (2008). Flora Iberica 18: 1-420. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.
  • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • El Makni, R. & Hédi El Aouni, M. (2012). Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae) a new species naturalised in the Northwest of Tunisia. Flora Mediterranea 22: 191-196.
  • Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
  • Gremmen, N. & Halbertsma, R.L. (2009). Alien plants and their impact on Tristan da Cunha 2: 1-307. Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP).
  • Haigh, A. & Boyce, P.C. (2012). Flora Zambesiaca 12(1): 1-54. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Hammel, B.E. & al. (2003). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica 2: 1-694. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
  • Moreira de Andrade, I. & al. (2013). The Araceae in Ceará, Brazil: humid forest plants in semi-arid region. Rodriguésia; Revista do Instituto de Biologia Vegetal, Jardim Botânico e Estaçao Biologica do Itatiaya 64: 445-477.
  • Orchard, A.E. (ed.) (1994). Oceanic Islands 1. Flora of Australia 49: 1-681. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
  • Rosati, L. & al. (2012). Un aggiornamento alla flora del Cilento e della Campania. Informatore Botanico Italiano 44: 111-119.
  • Sasikala, K., Vajravelu, E. & Daniel, P. (2019). Fascicles of Flora of India 29: 1-357. Botanical Survey of India, New Delhi.
  • Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.
  • Stevens, W.D., Ulloa U., C., Pool, A. & Montiel, O.M. (2001). Flora de Nicaragua. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 85: i-xlii, 1-2666. Missouri Botanical Garden.
  • Vladimirov, V., Dane, F. & Kit Tan (2013). New floristic records in the Balkans: 21. Phytologia Balcanica 19: 131-157.
  • Welsh, S.L. (1998). Flora Societensis: 1-420. E.P.S. Inc. Utah.
  • de Salas, MF, Baker, ML (2022). A Census of the Vascular Plants of Tasmania, including Macquarie Island: 1-161. Tasmanian Herbarium, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart. https://flora.tmag.tas.gov.au/resources/census/.

Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

  • Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R., & Celis, M. (eds.). (2020). Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia. v1.1. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Dataset/Checklist. https://doi.org/10.15472/7avdhn
  • Diazgranados et al. (2021). Catalogue of plants of Colombia. Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project. In prep.
  • Diazgranados, M., Allkin, B., Black N., Cámara-Leret, R., Canteiro C., Carretero J., Eastwood R., Hargreaves S., Hudson A., Milliken W., Nesbitt, M., Ondo, I., Patmore, K., Pironon, S., Turner, R., Ulian, T. (2020). World Checklist of Useful Plant Species. Produced by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity.
  • FPI (2021). Food Plants International. https://fms.cmsvr.com/fmi/webd/Food_Plants_World?homeurl=https://foodplantsinternational.com/plants/
  • GBIF.org (2021). GBIF species matching tool. https://www.gbif.org/tools/species-lookup
  • GRIN (2021). Germplasm Resources Information Network from the United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.ars-grin.gov/
  • IUCN (2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-2. https://www.iucnredlist.org.
  • Medicinal Plant Names Services (MPNS) v.10 (2021); http://mpns.kew.org/
  • RBG, Kew (2021). Kew Economic Botany Collection. https://ecbot.science.kew.org/
  • Willis, K.J. (ed.) (2017). State of the World’s Plants 2017. Report. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Wingfield, R. [2930] Tanzania K002976905 Yes
Mayo, S.; Santos, E.B.; Mayo, A.K.; Bispo Santos [854] Brazil K000303422 Yes
Hutchinson, J. [4681] South Africa K002976792 Yes
Hu, S.Y. [7269] Hong Kong K002976924 Yes
Hanekom, W.J. [734] South Africa K002976797 Yes
K:SPC-58079.000 No
s.coll. [10810] South Africa K002976785 Yes
Mayo, S.; Santos, E.B.; Mayo, A.K.; Bispo Santos [854] Brazil K000303423 Yes
Prosser, L.N. [1460] South Africa K002976813 Yes
Codd, L.E. [8001] South Africa K002976816 Yes
Hutchinson, J. [4681] South Africa K002976793 Yes
Mauve, A.A. [4821] South Africa K002976807 Yes
Rudatis, H. [699] South Africa K002976817 Yes
Pappe [s.n.] South Africa K002976800 Yes
s.coll. [B6559] K002976919 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K002976933 Yes
Moss, C.E. [15589] South Africa K002976808 Yes
Mayo, S.; Santos, E.B.; Mayo, A.K.; Bispo Santos [854] Brazil K000303425 Yes
Strey, R.G. [9209] South Africa K002976814 Yes
Friis, I.; Weber, O.; Abebe, W.; Getachew, E. [15030] Ethiopia K002976729 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K002976911 Yes
Codd, L.E. [8120] South Africa K002976810 Yes
Westphal, E.; Westphal-Stevels, J.M.C. [1615] Ethiopia K002976731 Yes
[Langley Kitching] [s.n.] South Africa K002976798 Yes
Matalu, L. [3309] Tanzania K002976922 Yes
Garside, S. [1187] South Africa K002976791 Yes
[Strydom] [s.n.] South Africa K002976811 Yes
Dieterlen, A. [583] Lesotho K002976799 Yes
Fendler, A. [2121] Venezuela K002976932 Yes
Matthew, K.M. [RHT26834] K002976918 Yes
Westphal, E.; Westphal-Stevels, J.M.C. [1615] Ethiopia K002976730 Yes
Hu, S.Y. [7211] Hong Kong K002976927 Yes
Killick; Marais [2037] South Africa K002976796 Yes
s.coll. [20766] United Kingdom K002976903 Yes
Batty, M. [635] Tanzania K002976917 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] South Africa K002976788 Yes
Nicolson, D.H. [1738] Lebanon K002976929 Yes
Lindeman, J.C.; de Haas, J. [1854] Brazil K002976920 Yes
Simpson, N.D.; Khattab, A. [4476] K002976934 Yes
Verdoorn; Dyer [1904] South Africa K002976795 Yes
Santos, T.S. [978] Brazil K002976921 Yes
Moss, C.E. [15589] South Africa K002976809 Yes
Summers, R.W. [s.n.] Egypt K002976928 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K002976909 Yes
Schuette, J.H. [s.n.] United States K002976926 Yes
Mandon, G. [s.n.] K002976908 Yes
Mayo, S.; Santos, E.B.; Mayo, A.K.; Bispo Santos [854] Brazil K000303424 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K002976912 Yes
Coode, M.J.E. [s.n.] Reunion K002976907 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K002976913 Yes
s.coll. [286] South Africa K002976812 Yes
[H. G. Hanagan] [323] South Africa K002976804 Yes
K:SPC-07467.000 No
Liu, Z.Y. [15351] China K002976904 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K002976931 Yes
Burchell [4047] South Africa K002976801 No
Gill [s.n.] South Africa K002976787 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K002976925 Yes
Friis, I.; Weber, O.; Abebe, W.; Getachew, E. [15030] Ethiopia K002976728 Yes
Burchell [[4047 B]] South Africa K002976786 Yes
Bangerter, E.B. [5252] New Zealand K002976916 Yes
Ngonyani [67] Tanzania K002976923 Yes
Galpin, E.E. [1643] South Africa K002976790 Yes
[C. Z. Forseman] [[K4]] South Africa K002976815 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K002976930 Yes
Brummitt, R.K.; George, A.S.; Oliver, E.G.H. [21332] Australia K002976725 Yes
MacOwan [1785] South Africa K002976789 Yes
{Th. Cadet} [3903] K002976906 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] South Africa K002976802 Yes
Nicolson, D.H. [4263] Sri Lanka K002976914 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] South Africa K002976803 Yes
Coveny, R.G.; Powell, J. [6468] Australia K002976915 Yes
Drège [s.n.] South Africa K002976794 Yes
[Coulin] [s.n.] K002976910 Yes

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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 Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Kew Species Profiles

    • Kew Species Profiles
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0