Calla palustris (Water Calla) - photos and description


 

 

 

 

General: Rhizomatous plant native to shorelines and in shallow water, found in large colonies.

Flowers: Flowers are very small less than 1 mm in diameter, whitish-yellow in colour in the spike-like spadix, surrounded by a bract-like white spathe. Spadix 2 cm long, cylindrical, spathe measured at 8 cm long and 2.5 cm wide.

Leaves: Leaves are all basal, ovate with cordate bases. Leaf featured in above photo had a blade which measured 16 cm long and 12 cm wide.

Height: I measured leaves to 32 cm tall.

Habitat: Swamps and marshes in the boreal forest.

Abundance: Listed as common in Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Saskatchewan. Uncommon in my experience.

Origin: Native.

When and where photographed: The above photos were taken June 16th and June 27th in swampy marshes, boreal forest, Duck Mountain Provincial Park, 300 km north east of our home in Regina, SK.