It's a calla lily. I transplanted it from the other side of the walkway this spring. It had two other blooms before this, both unusually large regular singles. The one stamen is smaller than the other - almost looks like it had a baby. Very very strange!
Sorry. I completely misread it as Canna... when quite clearly you said Calla. Sorry for being so stupid! I have edited my 1st post accordingly!
The Calla is an aroid. Aroids typically produce a spathe and spadix and double spadices are becoming more and more common, largely as a result of tissue culture. I have no idea how this plant may have originated but double spadices can also be found naturally. It is just an anomaly and nothing terribly unusual. Some growers are now purposely trying to produce them for those collectors that like odd specimens. If plants are given GA3 during the period they are being raised for commercial sale the chance of producing double spadices is even higher. Steve
Steve, So. this double calla would be more like conjoined twins and not a fasciation? The reason I ask is that I've recently had both situations come up at the plant clinic. The conjoined twins description was the best answer I could give regarding a flower since there was no lateral or flattened growth pattern. A second flower just grew out of the center of a normal flower. But, the flattened stems and curling leaves of a Leycesteria Formosa, I believed, were a total fasciation of the whole plant. I'm seeing more of this this year than I have in the past and it's peeked my interest....barb
Barbara, "conjoined twins" is absolutely appropriate in most cases. However, we do see double spadices within a single spathe so that could be only the spathe failed to form. Julius and I touched on this to some degree in this article which you may find useful. Of course, you are always welcome to just drop a note! You give very accurate advice and I very much appreciate what you do for growers. Steve http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Natural and artificial pollination in aroids.html
