3534 



ZANNICHELLIA 



ZANTEDESCHIA 



ZANNICHELLIA (named in honor of G. G. Zan- 

 nichelli, a Venetian botanist). Naiadaceae. HORNED 

 PONDWEED. Slender branching herbs, growing under 

 water, of little horticultural value for ponds: Ivs. mostly 

 opposite, long and linear, thread-like, entire; stipules 

 membranous, sheathing: fls. monoecious, sessile, naked, 

 usually both kinds from the same axil. About 5 spe- 

 cies, scattered throughout the world. Z. palustris, 

 Linn. Style at least half as long as the fr., which is 

 flattish, somewhat incurved, even, or occasionally 

 more or less toothed on the back (not wing-margined), 

 nearly sessile. Cosmopolitan in fresh or brackish water. 



ZANONIA (Jacob Zanoni, 1615-^1682, botanist of 

 Bologna). Cucurbitdceae. Under this genus, one spe- 

 cies, Z. sarcophylla, Wall., is sometimes listed among 

 cult, plants. This plant is now placed in the genus 

 Alsomitra and becomes A. sarcophylla, Hook. f. It is 

 native of Burma: climbing shrub with very fleshy 3- 

 fqliolate Ivs.; Ifts. oblong, entire: fls. small, white, 

 dioecious, in compound panicles; corolla rotate, 5- 

 parted, with obtuse segms. ; calyx rotate and 5-parted, 

 with acute segms.; male fls. with 5 stamens; females 

 with a 1-celled elongate 3-4-styled ovary: fr. a medium- 

 sized 3-valved caps.; seeds black, narrowed at base, 

 with 2 flat curved horns at apex. 



ZANTEDESCHIA (Francesco Zantedeschi, wrote on 

 Italian plants in 1825). Syn., Richdrdia. Araceae. 

 CALLA of horticulturists. Perennial herbs grown for 

 their ornamental corolla-like spathes and sometimes 

 for spotted foliage; greenhouse subjects in the northern 

 regions, but grown permanently in the open in Cali- 

 fornia and other warm parts. The genus comprises the 

 "calla lily." 



Herbaceous plants with many long-petioled Ivs., all 

 from a thick rhizome: peduncles appearing with the 

 Ivs.: petioles spongy, often bristly below; blade sagit- 

 tate, hastate, or lanceolate to cordate-ovate, the numer- 

 ous primary and secondary nerves excurrent: peduncle 

 as long or longer than the Ivs. ; spathe large, open, with a 

 flaring, pointed, recurved tip; spadix staminate above, 

 and pistillate below (Fig. 4029) : fls. many and small, 

 naked, crowded, staminodes sometimes mixed with the 

 ovaries: fr. a 1-3-celled berry. Engler admits 8 species 

 in his latest monograph (Das Pflanzenreich, hft. 64, 

 1915), in Trop. and S. Afr. The common calla-lily was 

 long known in commerce as Calla sethiopica. Later it 

 was known as Richardia africana, it having been found 

 that the genus Calla, as more closely defined, could not 

 include it. The Richardia of Kunth, 1818, under which 

 the plant has been named, is antedated by another 

 Richardia, and Zantedeschia, 1826, is considered by 

 latest authorities to be the tenable name and is retained 

 in the "nomina conservanda" of the International 

 Rules as against both Richardia and Aroides. The 

 genus Calla, as understood by modern botanists, com- 

 prises a single species, C. palustris, native in swamps 

 in the northern hemisphere, including N. E. U. S. and 

 Canada; see Fig. 742, Vol. II. For the black calla, 

 see Arum. 



When grown for the flowers only, zantedeschias may 

 be planted out permanently on a bench, using very rich 

 soil and giving an abundance of water while growing. 

 They may be kept growing continually or given a sea- 

 son of rest, as desired. Plants in pots are usually started 

 late in summer from dry tubers. The species having 

 yellow and pink spathes seem to do best when grown 

 without a resting-period. 



Culture of callas. (T. D. Hatfield.) 



The so-called calla of gardens (Zantedeschia sethiopica) 

 has been a favorite for generations. Although often 

 grown as a window-plant, it is very unsuitable and sel- 

 dom blooms under house treatment. When grown for 



winter flowers, it is customary to give the loots a rest 

 during summer-time. They may be dried and stored if 

 necessary. It is in this condition that Californian 

 callas are received. It is the opinion of the writer that 

 summer-resting would be the best treatment for those 

 grown as house-plants, as well-grown dried roots are 

 more likely to bloom. But rest must be enforced, for 

 callas will grow all the year round, increasing in size 

 and numbers when planted out. The largest blooms 

 are always secured from summer-grown plants. They are 

 taken up in the autumn, given good loam and plenty of 

 root-room, with a liberal allowance of liquid fertilizer 

 when well established. They thrive best under good 

 light, and in a minimum temperature of 55. 



There are sev- 

 eral varieties, all 

 differing only in 

 size, from those 

 which grow 6 

 feet to "Little 

 Gem" 1 foot. 

 Some are said to 

 be more odorous 

 than others, al- 

 though all are 

 fragrant. Be- 

 sides being in- 

 valuable pot- 

 plants, they can 

 be used with 

 good effect in 

 indoor water- 

 gardens, grow- 

 ing luxuriantly 

 when partly sub- 

 merged ; and also 

 in bog-gardens, 

 and on the mar- 

 gins of ponds, 

 to give sub- 

 tropical effects. 

 Although in- 

 troduced to cul- 

 tivation about 

 twenty-five 

 years ago, Z. 

 Elliottiana is yet 

 of secondary 

 importance, al- 

 though an acqui- 

 sition. It is a South African species, about which com- 

 paratively little is known in the wild. (N. E. Brown 

 writes in "Flora of Tropical Africa," Vol. 8, 1902: 

 "This species is stated to have been raised from seeds 

 received from South Africa, but I have reason to 

 believe that its habitat is somewhere in the northern 

 part of the Transvaal." The plant was described as 

 Richardia Elliottiana in Garden and Forest, New 

 York, 1892.) When introduced, it was thought difficult 

 to grow. It was first grown in this country by William 

 Robinson, gardener to F. L. Ames, North Easton, 

 Massachusetts, Mr. Harris, gardener to H. H. Hunne- 

 well, Wellesley, Massachusetts, and Joseph Tailby, of 

 Wellesley. The last named is a commercial grower, 

 who looked on his importation as an investment. The 

 bulbs (corms or roots) were expensive a guinea or 

 thereabouts and about as big as marbles. Tailby's 

 experience is interesting and it may be valuable to the 

 reader. He came near losing his whole stock by cutting 

 out the eyes, with the object of getting separate plants. 

 There had been no sign of natural division, nor has 

 there since; although some are still of the opinion that 

 by proper manipulation they may be increased by 

 division, as we now do potatoes, but the wounds must 

 be given time to heal over. The roots are kept over in a 

 cellar at a temperature of 45 F., or thereabouts, until 



4028. Zantedeschia albo-maculata. ( X K) 



