Bog Arum

Notes:

The 5-10 in. water-dragon or wild calla has fleshy, jointed stalks and heart-shaped leaves on upright stems. The flowers are white with a hint of green, on a round spadix. Growing in water among oblong heart-shaped leaves, is a broad white spathe around a spadix covered with tiny yellow flowers. A bright white, elliptic spathe partially surrounds the spadix. The spathe/spadix is held on a 4-5 in. stem above forking, creeping, partially exposed rootstocks. The fruit is a red berry. This perennial, a more northerly species than the other arums in the East, is also found in Eurasia. It is very showy when in flower and, later, when bearing its fruit. The genus name Calla, its meaning uncertain, was used by Pliny; the species epithet palustris means of marshes.