Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng. (Araceae), originating from S Africa, was found naturalized in many sites of the Kroumiria region (Northwest of Tunisia). This report represents the first record for the Tunisian flora. Distribution and ecological notes are also given

El Aouni

Mohamed Hédi

Mokni

Ridha El

CiteSeerX

Ridha El Mokni & Mohamed Hédi El Aouni
Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae) a new species naturalized in the
Northwest of Tunisia
Abstract
El Mokni, R. & Hédi El Aouni, M.: Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae) a new species natural-
ized in the Northwest of Tunisia. — Fl. Medit. 22: 191-196. 2012. — ISSN: 1120-4052 print-
ed, 2240-4538 online.
Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng. (Araceae), originating from S Africa, was found natural-
ized in many sites of the Kroumiria region (Northwest of Tunisia). This report represents the
first record for the Tunisian flora. Distribution and ecological notes are also given.
Key words:Alien flora, N Africa, aroid species.
Introduction
Zantedeschia Spreng. the classic white calla lily or arum lily is a genus of the Araceae
Juss. It is an important ornament grown worldwide (Kuehny 2000; Snijder & al. 2004;
Wright & al. 2005; Ni & al. 2009, 2010), with about eight species in two sections, all
native to Africa (Letty 1973; Singh & al. 1996). The genus name Zantedeschia was given
in honor to Giovanni Zantedeschi (1797-1873) (Fournier 1977), an Italian botanist, priest,
physicist and professor. Diploid plants in all Zantedeschia Spreng. sp. pl. contain 32 chro-
mosomes, 2n=2x=32 (Yao & al. 1994). This very attractive plant has been described in
1753, by Carl Linnaeus as Calla aethiopica and it has been commonly known as the calla
lily ever since. In 1826, Sprengel transferred it to a new genus which he
called Zantedeschia Spreng. (Letty 1973). The present work confirms the naturalization of
Zantedeschia aethiopica and give an idea about its actual distribution within the Tunisian
territory. The discovery of this new naturalized aroid constitutes up to now the first record
for the Tunisian flora.
Native habitat and distribution area 
Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng. [Syn. Calla aethiopica L., Richardia aethiopica
(L.) Spreng., Arodes aethiopicum (L.) Kuntze, Colocasia aethiopica (L.) Spreng. ex Link.,
Otosma aethiopica (L.) Raf., Richardia africana Kunth., Z. aethiopica var. minor Engl.,
Fl. Medit. 22: 191-196
doi: 10.7320/FlMedit22.191
Version of Record published online on 28 December 2012
Pseudohomalomena pastoriensis A. D. Hawkes] (Arnold & De Wet 1993; Dobignard &
Chatelain 2011) is native to Southern Africa: Lesotho; South Africa - Cape Province, Free
State, KwaZulu-Natal, Transvaal; Swaziland (Maire 1957; Guillarmod 1971; Keay &
Hepper 1953–1972; Compton 1976) was largely naturalized in Macaronesia: Portugal -
Azores, Madeira Islands; Spain - Canary Islands, Western Indian Ocean: Reunion,
Australia: Australia, New Zealand: New Zealand, Europe: United Kingdom, Italy,
Sardinia, Sicily, North-Central Pacific: United States - Hawaii, South America, Philippines
and elsewhere (Celesti-Grapow & al. 2010; Hansen & Sunding 1993; BSBI 2012; Parsons
& Cuthbertson 1992; Weber 2003). 
In North Africa, only Maire (1957) cited the genus as most frequently cultivated on the
coast and naturalized in the neighborhood of Tanger (Morocco), of Bône and of the Calle
(Algeria). Neither Calla nor Zantedeschia were reported in any North-African flora
(Quèzel & Santa 1963; Valdés & al. 2002) even in some recent index floristic updating (Le
Floc’h & al. 2010; Dobignard & Chatelain 2011). 
Description
Description of the different parts of the plant was based on morphometric measurements
with reference to some previous works including those of Maire (1957), Letty (1973),
Fournier (1977), Singh & al. (1995), Fennane & Ibn Tattou (1998), Macfarlane & al.
(2000), Germishuizen & Meyer (2003).
Vegetative apparatus and life form
The white or common arum lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng. is a perennial,
laticiferous, robust, evergreen or deciduous, erect and clump-forming plant with thick rhi-
zomes and white fleshy roots, growing usually to 0.6 – 1.0 m high in sunny positions but
getting up to 1.5 m high if growing in shade. The leaves, without a persistent basal meris-
tem, are large and leathery and having a laminae sagittate or ovate-cordate form with ovate
to orbicular blades; parallel-pinnate veined, growing to 15 – 45 cm × 10-25 cm, glossy
dark green with somewhat lighter green very fine veins, on 40-100 cm long succulent peti-
oles of lighter green colour, spongy, white on the inside and purplish on outside. The scape
is of similar height as the leaves, of green colour and stout. 
Vegetative anatomy
Plants without silica bodies. Leaf anatomy. Guard-cells not “grass type”. Hairs absent.
Stem anatomy. Secondary thickening absent.
Inflorescence and flower features
The flower has a very distinctive structure; what appears to be a large petal is actually
a modified leaf called spathe of ivory-white colour but bright green at the base on outside.
The spathe is up to 25 cm long, funnel shaped narrowing towards the tip with a small
recurved apex; inside it contains the actual flower which is a 10 - 12 cm long spadix of
bright yellow colour having a basal female zone of ¼ - ½ of the spadix continued with an
upper male zone. Fertile flowers functionally male and functionally female. 
192 El Mokni & El Aouni: Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae) a new species ... 
Reproductive type and pollination
Plants monoecious. The unisexual flowers aggregated in different parts of the same
inflorescence. Female flowers with staminodes (interspersed among the ovaries in some
species), sometimes without staminodes. Entomophilous. Pollination mechanism conspic-
uously specialized. Flowers aggregated in ‘inflorescences’; in spikes. Inflorescence simple
(solitary). The terminal inflorescence unit seemingly racemose. Inflorescence with long
and stout peduncle and numerous flowers, males above females, lacking sterile sections.
Flowers ebracteate; ebracteolate; small; (these or the spadix) fragrant, or malodorous;
cyclic. Perianth absent. Fertile stamens present, or absent (when female). Androecium 2-
3; 1-whorled. Androecium exclusively of fertile stamens. Pollen shed in aggregates; in
long beaded strings. Ovary usually 3 locular with several anatropous ovules in each locule,
placentation axile. Gynoecium shortly stylate. Styles apical. Stigmas discoid; wet when
receptive; non-papillate; Group II type. Placentation axile. Ovules 1–8 per locule; attached
dorsally to the central placenta; orthotropous, or hemianatropous, or anatropous. 
Fruit and seed features
The fruits are fleshy, berry-like, up to 1 cm in diameter and green or orange to yellow;
indehiscent (berries clustered, usually surrounded by, and contained within, the withering
spathe). Fruit contains few to numerous subglobose or ovoid starchy seeds. Embryo
straight (linear). Seeds with copious endosperm.
The Tunisian findings
Plants of Z. aethiopica were observed on the 10th of April 2011, for the first time, dur-
ing an extended field excursion on the commune of Aîn Draham within the Kroumiria
region (North-West of Tunisia) where it grows as spontaneous in the underwood of a plant-
ed pine forest (Fig. 1). It is probably introduced by way of ornamental plants in surround-
ings and reaching the area of its found (geographical coordinates: Lat. 36° 46’56.06” N,
Long. 08° 41’12.70” E and an elevation about 716 meters, above sea level) by through
some small waterways. Vegetation of this area was constituted essentially of Pinus sp. pl.,
Eucalyptus sp. pl., Rubus ulmifolius Schott, Nerium oleander L., Pteridium aquilinum (L.)
Kuhn. subsp. aquilinum, Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. subsp. suaveolens, Mentha pulegium L.
subsp. pulegium, Bellis annua L., Rumex pulcher L., Rumex tuberosus L. Smyrnium
olusatrum L., Cirsium scabrum (Poir.) Bonnet & Barratte, Ophrys bombyliflora Link.,
Ophrys tenthredinifera Willd.
Subsequent observations (February 2012) show that Z. aethiopica (L.) Spreng. still
present, behaves as a perennial species and continue to reproduce and spread gradually;
two new sites were recorded (Tabarka with the following geographical coordinates: Lat.
36° 57’05.45” N, Long. 08° 45’48.75” E and an elevation about 1 meter, above sea level
and Bni Mtir with the following geographical coordinates: Lat. 36° 44’23.34” N, Long.
08° 44’02.67” E and an elevation about 526 meters, above sea level). Its spread and dis-
tribution as a naturalized plant is so far strictly linked to the Kroumiria region.
Flora Mediterranea 22 — 2012 193
Specimina visa:
Tunisia: Aîn Draham, the underwood of a planted pine forest, 36° 46’56.06” N 08°
41’12.70” E, 716 m a.s.l., 10.4.2011, R. El Mokni (TUN); Tabarka, 36° 57’05.45” N 08°
45’48.75” E, 1 m a.s.l., 5.2.2012, R. El Mokni (TUN); Bni Mtir, 36° 44’23.34” N, 08°
44’02.67” E, 526 m a.s.l., 5.2.2012, R. El Mokni (TUN).
Ecological interest and ethnobotanical activities
Z. aethiopica may be useful in artificial wetland systems to clean waste water and prevent
algal growth (Belmont & Metcalfe 2003), a prompt idea that can be exploited for the clean-
ing up of some contaminated soils. The trouble is that this aroid plant smothers ground layer
preventing regeneration of native flora and might become hard to control at times, especially
when forming dense populations in swamps and moist river banks. The dispersal is quite slow
and is mostly vegetative, with the rhizomes exploring and occupying the nearby patches and
giving ultimately birth to new shoots, but also seed dropped nearby parent plant or spread by
birds is a secondary mean of dispersal. Although few good uses are known for the plant; parts
of the plant have an ethnobotanical use (traditionally this plant is boiled and eaten, especially
the rhizomes or tuberous roots; leaves are also traditionally used as a poultice and a treatment
for headaches), the raw plant is regarded as being highly toxic due different chemicals.
Usually it causes discomfort (mostly swelling of the throat) but reportedly if eaten in big quan-
tities it may be even fatal (cf. Aubrey 2001). In conclusion, with this addition the flora of
Tunisia is enriched of one genus and one species.
194 El Mokni & El Aouni: Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae) a new species ... 
Fig. 1. First observation, with flowers, of naturalized Zantedeschia aethiopica in the Kroumiria
(Government of Jendouba, North-West of Tunisia) on the 10th April 2012 (Photo R. EL MOKNI).
Acknowledgements 
We would like to thank all members of the “Tela-Botanica Afrique du Nord” for their help in obtain-
ing plant identification. 
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Address of the authors:
Ridha El Mokni & Mohamed Hédi El Aouni,
University of Carthage, Laboratory of Botany and Plant Ecology (ANS-214),
Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Jarzouna -7021 -
Bizerte, Tunisia. E-mail of corresponding author: riridah@yahoo.fr
196 El Mokni & El Aouni: Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae) a new species ... 


Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae) a new species naturalized in the Northwest of Tunisia

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Zantedeschia aethiopica (Araceae) a new species naturalized in the Northwest of Tunisia

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