Calla

Marsh Calla or Arum ( Calla palustris)

The Arum ( Calla palustris), also Marsh Calla, Calla Lily, snake root, snake weed, marsh snake root or pig ear called, the only species of the genus Calla and the subfamily Calloideae within the family of Araceae is ( Araceae ). The Marsh Calla was elected to the flower of the year 1988.

• 8.1 Notes and references

Plant species with the same common name

The plants, which are referred to in the flower trade with the trivial name " Lily " or " Calla", belong to the genus Zantedeschia.

In southern Europe, the genus of the Dragon Wurzen ( Dracunculus ) with the major representatives, Common Drachenwurz occurs, which also belongs to the family of Araceae.

The type has nothing to do with Caltha palustris, the marsh marigold. The similarity of the two names is purely coincidental.

Description

Appearance and leaves

The Calla Lily is like this trivial name suggests, a marsh plant. She is a strong green, perennial herbaceous plant, which reaches stature heights of up to 50 centimeters. As Überdauerungsorgan this Helophyt forms an up to 50 centimeters wide crawling green rhizome, which is robust with a diameter of usually one or two, rarely three centimeters and cylindrical. It is at the nodes ( more nodes ) slightly spongy and rooted.

At the stem down close together are a few leaves and Cataphylle. The Cataphylle are lanceolate and acuminate with a length of 10 centimeters. The alternate and distichous arranged leaves are divided into leaf sheath, petiole and leaf blade. The leaf sheath is tongue-shaped with a length of usually seven to eight (up to 12 ) centimeters, and has free ligules. The green petiole is terete in cross section, usually 12 to 24 centimeters ( six to 30, rarely even to 40 centimeters ) long. The simple leathery green leaf blade with a length of (four to) usually six to 14 inches and a width of (four to ) usually six to 14 inches wide, ovate - cordate to cordate - circular with attached lace. From the strong midrib go on each side usually 10 to 14 ( eight to 18) almost parallel lateral nerves from the 1st order. In between are feathered lateral nerves 2nd order. The nerve lying directly on the leaf margin are inconspicuous.

Inflorescence and flowers

The flowering period extends from May to July. The single and upright without peeling green stalk round inflorescence stem has a length of 15 to 30 centimeters and a diameter of eight to 12 millimeters. As is customary in the arum family consists of the inflorescence of a single bract ( spathe ) that surrounds the piston ( spadix ). The durable and open the heyday spathe is white inside and green outside. It is with a length of usually three to six (three to eight) inches and a width of three to 3.5 (up to five) inches elliptic to ovate and acuminate with a tip about a centimeter long. The cylindrical piston has a yellow length of 1.5 to three centimeters and a diameter of seven to 15 millimeters. It ends blunt. At its entire length, it is densely covered with many flowers.

The most androgynous, sometimes masculine at the top of the piston flowers are greatly reduced; there are no bloom yet. The yellowish- green flowers are usually two to 2.2 ( to 2.5 ) millimeters in size. There are usually six, sometimes nine to twelve free stamens present. The stamens are broadened. The small pollen grains are spherical. The egg-shaped stylus consists of a unilocular ovary with six to nine, rarely more anatropen and elongated seed plants, as well as an almost spherical, small scar.

Fruit stand, fruit and seeds

In a length of (two to ) usually three to five inches and a diameter of (1.5 to ) usually 2.5 to 3.5 inches, almost spherical to broadly ellipsoidal fruit stand the berries are close together. The in length ( five to ) usually six to 12 millimeters and a diameter of (four to ) usually five to 10 millimeters spherical - conical berries turn red when ripe from August to September. The berries usually contain four to nine seeds. The brown seeds are elongated cylindrical to nearly an ellipsoid with a length of three to five millimeters and a diameter of about two millimeters. The seed coat ( testa) is thick and it is much endosperm present.

Chromosome numbers

The chromosome numbers be 2n = 36, 54, 72

Ecology

The Drachenwurz is a rhizome - Geophyt or a marsh plant. The rhizome is walzig, green, up to 0.5 meters long, aboveground creeping, with aerenchyma as an adjustment to the sump location.

The piston-like inflorescence is surrounded by a spathe, which in contrast to the spotted arum ( Arum maculatum ) greened and is open at the top. The individual flowers are usually hermaphroditic, vorweiblich without perianth and without nectar. Pollinators are mainly carrion flies and small beetles. Information on pollination by snails were challenged, but could still be correct. Bloom time is from May to July.

The fruits are scarlet, sticky berries, each with 4-10 slimy seeds. After flowering, the fruit stand is extended and grows out to the ground or water. The ripe berries easily detached from the piston. Since the pulp has large, air-filled intercellular spaces, they can swim well. By bursting dismiss also buoyant seeds that also adhere to waterfowl.

Asexual reproduction occurs through the rhizome.

Occurrence

The Drachenwurz is widespread in temperate to subarctic regions of the northern hemisphere. They are found in Eurasia and North America. In Central Europe, this species is rare.

The Drachenwurz thrives in forest swamps, intermediate marshes, alder and birch carr woodlands and on the edge of raised bogs, to flow and standing water and wet meadows, often it is intermediate between peat mosses ( Sphagnum). Due to the decline of wetlands the plant in parts of Germany is threatened today, in the Alps, it is endangered or regionally threatened with extinction. According to the German Federal Nature Conservation Act ( Federal Nature Conservation Act ), the species is specially protected, completely protected it is in the Austrian provinces.

System

The genus calla was erected in 1753 by Carolus Linnaeus with the type species Calla palustris in Species Plantarum, 2, p 968. The botanical genus name Calla is derived from the Greek word for kallos nice and the epithet palustris from the Latin word for paluster marshy. Stephan Ladislaus Finite placed the subfamily of Calloideae 1837 in pub. Gene. Pl = Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita, p 239. Synonyms for Calla L. are: Aroides Heister ex Fabricius, Callaria Raf, Provenzalia .. Adans.

Toxicity

As with many other members of the Araceae all parts of the marsh calla are poisonous. However, the reasons for this are not clear. There are ascribed toxic effect on both the existing salts of oxalic acid as well as the Aroin.

There are few documented cases of poisoning. When the intake of larger amounts of the plant it comes to diarrhea and paralysis of the central nervous system. On the skin appears the plant, especially the roots, irritant.

Pictures

Drachenwurz covered an entire pond in Dosenmoor

Individual Drachenwurz copies in Dosenmoor

Inflorescence with immature berries

Inflorescence with ripe berries

Swell

• Heng Li, Peter C. Boyce & Josef Bogner: Calla on page 16: genus and species - Online, In: . Wu Zheng -yi, Peter H. Raven, Deyuan Hong (eds.): Flora of China. Volume 23: Acoraceae through Cyperaceae, Science Press / Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing / St. Louis 2010, ISBN 978-1-930723-99-3. (Section Description, distribution and systematics)
• Drachenwurz. In: FloraWeb.de. ( Description section )
• R. Duell / H. Kutzelnigg: Pocket Dictionary of Plants in Germany and neighboring countries, 7th Edition, Quelle & Meyer Verlag, 2011, ISBN 978-3-494-01424-1