Orontium

Scientific name

Orontium L.

Common names

golden club

Family

Araceae

Similar genera

Lysichiton

Native distribution

eastern North America

Species cultivated

Orontium aquaticum L.

Adventive distribution

Europe

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

deep-rooted emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
plant

Brief description

Annual or perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
. Rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
stout and deeply rooted. Leaves in a basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
; petioles elongate, sheathed basally; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
ellipticelliptical:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
, submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
, floating or emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
parallel; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entire. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
borne on an elongate pedunclepeduncle:
(n) the stalk of a flower cluster or inflorescence
; spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
reduced to base of spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
and apparently absent when mature; spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
elongate, yellow. Flowers in upper portion of spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
male, in lower portion bisexualbisexual:
(adj) having both male and female sexual reproductive structures on one individual or in one flower
. Berries with single seed. Dispersal by seed.

Natural habitat

streams and shallow pools

Additional comments

Orontium contains only one species. It is often found in acidic swamps and coastal streams.