Appreciation: Orange fruit cluster spikes: Arum italicum and Zantedeschia aethiopica

Discussion in 'Araceae' started by wcutler, Aug 4, 2009.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I have copied postings into this new thread, so they will come before I get to say why unless I edit the first posting, which I am doing. I remembered this posting and these orange spikes when I just noticed what look quite the same to me growing where I had posted Zantedeschia aethiopica. So I have decided to compare them in the same thread, and if there are other look-alikes, I may add them.

    [edited by wcutler 20090820: this has been re-identified as Arum italicum, but for a while was thought to be Arisaema]

    The colourful spikes at the foot of the giant weed-looking (edited: Paulownia tomentosa) thing look like they've been stuck in the ground as decorations for a recent parade, but I think they're really some plant and I'm curious about what they are. They don't seem to be related to anything growing around them. Will leaves appear later? These are along the path of the Rhododendron Garden in Stanley Park, where the inside path joins the bike path along the lagoon.
     

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    Last edited: Aug 21, 2020
  2. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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  3. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Just one photo from two blocks from my place. This is Morton Park, a triangular area about the length of half a block. Zantedeschia aethiopica, calla lilies. They have been looking this good for over a week. I used to have the view in the distance until a new building finally went up right in line with the view. Now I have half the view, better than I was expecting.
    Zantedeschia-aethiopicaEnglishBay_Cutler_20200608_142026.jpg
     
  4. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    No leaves now on the Zantedeschia aethiopica, but this is the same setting as in the posting just above. Now I can see that these spikes are a lot taller than the Arum italicum ones. [edited - don't learn this - see below] [Edited again - I have to make this more clear - these fruits are Arum italicum; I was totally suckered into thinking that because I remembered the flowers here, these fruits belonged to those flowers.]
    Zantedeschia aethiopica_MortonPark_Cutler_20200819_135544.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2020
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  5. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Here is a Zantedeschia aethiopica fruit stalk still with leaves, not tidied up so quickly as the parks board ones. This is in a private planting near me, but I can't remember exactly where, and the GPS marker is on a back lane mid-block, equidistant from any of the four streets I could have been on. [edited - don't learn this - see below - these fruits are Arum italicum]
    Zantedeschia aethiopica_BroughtonPendrell_Cutler_20200822_180258.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2020
  6. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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  7. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Thank you! This is a lot harder than I was expecting. I photographed the fruits coming up where the flowers had been. It seemed so convenient to have remembered that and to have photographed it. And such clear evidence! Those fruits are in several places in that park where those flowers had been.
    Those are not Arum italicum flowers in posting #3.
    And in posting #5, I photographed the fruits with leaves that look like the Zantedeschia leaves in the photos at your link.

    So I have to conclude that in all those places, Arum italicum was also planted, just mixed right in? And I need to check next year for its flowers.
    I agree that the Zantedeschia fruit photos do not look like these. I am not easily finding when I would need to check for those fruits.
    And that's assuming that these are not pulled out and replanted every year, so I would never see the fruits. I guess I'd better go find that private planting.
     
  8. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    So I had some thinking time while I was swimming. Those zantedeschia fruits at Ron's link are obviously growing atop the stalk where the flower structure was - they didn't pop up separately out of the ground, which is what I've always thought of the arum fruits doing. So either there was a little window where I could have seen fruits forming before the flower stalks were removed, or I am never going to see them except in a private garden where they are left to fruit.
    And even though arum fruits can grow where there were apparently not arum plants, it's probably also the case that they develop from the flower structure, and if I had known they would be there, I could have dug under the zantedeschia leaves to find them. Either that, or the Parks Board plants them back in when they are fruiting - pops out the zantedeschia, pops in the arums.
     
  9. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I don't remember the flowers here and did not photograph them, but here are a few Zantedeschia aethiopica infructescences. Now I have to remember to photograph the flowers next year. I'm aiming for matching sets, flowers and fruit.
    Zantedeschia aethiopica_ComoxGilford_Cutler_20200910_193749.jpg
     
  10. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Well, guess what - I have the matching leaves now for the Arum italicum fruits at the location in posting #4. Thank you again, @Ron B.
    Arum-italicum_MortonPark_Cutler_20200918_135758.jpg Arum-italicum_MortonPark_Cutler_20200918_135901.jpg Arum-italicum_MortonPark_Cutler_20200918_135957.jpg
     
  11. bihai

    bihai Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Those are some VERY COOL infructescences!
     
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  12. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Yes, Here are both - Zantedeschia aethiopica leaves on the left, and Arum italicum leaves and fruits on the right.
    Zantedeschia-aethiopica-and-Arum-italicum_MortonPark_Cutler_20201115_161252.jpg
    The ferns are Polystichum setiferum, soft shield fern, were posted in this thread: Appreciation: - Two polystichum ferns.
     
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  13. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    There is a LOT of the Arum italicum! And some Zantedeschia aethiopica as well in this photo, same location as the previous photo.
    Zantedeschia-aethiopica-and-Arum-italicum_MortonPark_Cutler_20210116_143759.jpg
     

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