Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

Araceae - The Arum Family


Rhizomatous perennials of bogs and swamps. Inflorescence scapose, consisting of a fleshy cylindric spadix subtended by a leaflike or bractlike spathe. Flowers small, crowded on the spadix, perfect or mostly so (in those included here); perianth of 6 tepals or absent; stamens 6, anthers short and broad, filaments flat and appressed to the ovary; pistil 1- to 3-carpellary, stigma sessile, ovary superior. Fruit dry or fleshy, gelatinous within, containing 1-few seeds.

Lead Characteristic Go To
1 Leaves linear; spathe green, appearing as a leaflike extension of the scape, the spadix thus appearing lateral. Genus Acorus
1 Leaves petioled with broadly heart-shaped blades; spathe white, clearly differentiated from the scape, the spadix terminal. Genus Calla


59. Araceae, the Arum Family
1. Acorus L. -- Sweet flag, calamus
1. Acorus calamus L.
2. Calla L. -- Water arum
1. Calla palustris L.


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Page Last Modified: August 3, 2006