Arum italicum
Common name
Italian arum
Family
Araceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Monocots
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
ARUITA
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Heavily disturbed shrubland and forest, herbfield, damp areas with low cover, regenerating ex-pasture.
Features
Tuberous, clump-forming perennial 25-60 cm tall. Main tuber 4 cm diameter, many small tubers attached. Leaves up to 30 cm long, arrow shaped (young leaves thinner), glossy, dark-green with creamy midrib and main veins, purple-tinged, present from Autumn to Spring. Flower a yellow spike, surrounded by a 30 x 15 cm, pale green translucent bract. Berries 1 cm, orange or red, on flower stalk after leaves die back.
Similar taxa
May be confused with Zantedeschia aethiopica, or other lilly species (Calla, Dracunculus) but the dark green leaves with creamy mid-rib and veins are very distinctive.
Flowering
October, November
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
November, December
Life cycle
Perennial. Spreads via seed and slow vegetative spread. Probably bird dispersed.
Year naturalised
1945
Origin
Eurasia
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Tolerances
Drought resistant once established.
Etymology
arum: From the Greek word aron which means ‘climbing’ or ‘poisonous plant’.
Poisonous plant
All parts of the plant are poisonous including the bright orange berries.