Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Zantedeschia aethiopica 

Other names

Arum Lily

Family

Araceae

Flowering season

April to September

English distribution

It is very thinly scattered throughout the country, but

is most common in the Southwest and the far Southeast.

There are 5 reported sightings in the recently published,

A New Flora of Devon (2016).

See the BSBI distribution map for Altar-lily

Habitat

It is a neophyte, which was introduced from southern

Africa, and is cultivated as an ornamental plant.

It is a persistent garden escape and grows in ditches,

scrub, relic gardens and neglected fields, and damp

hedges.

Description

Altar-lily is a perennial, rhizomatous, large leaved herb,

growing up to 1m.

The flower is large, up to 15cm, and is made up of

a large, brilliant white spathe with a yellow, cylindrical

spadix partly hidden within the spathe.

Neither the male or female flowers have tepals.

Male flowers are found towards the base of the spadix

and have 2-3 stamens up to 2mm, and bright yellow

anthers.

Female flowers are also at the base of the spadix and have

a 3-celled, globose ovary of up to 4mm, and a short

persistent style.

The fruits do not develop in the UK.

The structure of the flowers is similar to native members

of the Araceae found in the UK, such as Lords-and-Ladies.

The dark green leaves are large, up to 45 by 25cm, with

a long petiole of up to 75cm.