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ARUM LILY 

Arum lily is a robust, dark green, succulent herb, also known as calla or white arum lily. It was introduced to WA from South Africa as a garden plant and subsequently escaped to become established as a weed. It is found in creeks, irrigation ditches and areas of summer-moist land in the higher rainfall south west of WA, often forming large dense clumps.

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Arum lily competes with valuable perennial pasture plants on summer land. It has been claimed to cause eczema in humans. Stock deaths have occurred from grazing arum lily.

Arum lily has fleshy roots and forms extensive tubers which store food for future use. The roots when boiled provide a starchy food for some South African tribes, however, they are poisonous when eaten raw.

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Arum lily spreads vegetatively by regeneration from tuber fragments and by seeds.

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Leaves: the petioles (leaf stalks) are up to 0.4 metres long and smooth; the leaf blades are thick and fleshy, pointed at the apex with blunt lobes at the base.

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Flowers: white to greenish white and tubular flowers, becoming funnel shaped at the top with a slit down one side. Flowering takes place in spring.

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Fruit: the berry is oval, yellowish, about one centimetre in diameter and contains several round seeds about three millimetres in diameter.

 

 
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”Arum lilies are also known as 'Death lilies' as they were used at funerals."

 

 

 
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