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Pretty perennial
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Arum lilies look attractive in cut flower arrangements
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THE LARGE creamy white part of the Arum Lily is not a petal but an enlarged and modified leaf. The actual flowers are tiny and do not have petals or stalks and are unisexual. The spathe is indeed eye-catching. The plant is only about three feet tall, but appears much taller because of the tufts of long-stalked arrowhead leaves. The leaves are deep green with a wavy margin.
The plant is a rhizomatous perennial from South Africa, now naturalised in frost-free parts of the world. The British introduced the plant in the hill stations of India as a poolside hedge. Flowering is profuse and takes place round the year.
The plants that were first introduced multiplied easily and established themselves all along the marsh margin. Occasional floods uprooted them and carried them to new areas. This is the story of how the species spread to different parts of the country.
The blooms are popular with florists, as they look attractive in cut flower arrangements. The leaves stand the strain of transportation to long distances, and do not lose their freshness.
The plant belongs to the family Arceae and the genus is named after the Italian botanist, Francesco Zantedeschi. The genus Zantedeschia has six species. Arum Lily is scientifically known as Zantedeschia aethiopica. Z. Africana and Z. Richariana are other common species.
The rhizomes are short, thick, fleshy and tuber-like and from these several offsets soon sprout. The rhizomes can withstand water-logging. Propagation is done by separating the offsets and planting in the earth or in pots. In America, the Arum Lily is referred to as Calla Lily.
J. MANGALARAJ JOHNSON
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
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