Description

This perennial plant is an emergent aquatic that forms clumps of basal leaves on stout petioles. The ascending basal leaves are 8-24' long and 4-10' across; they are hastate to sagittate with pointed basal lobes, smooth along their margins, pinnately veined, medium to dark green, and glabrous. The stout petioles of the basal leaves are 12-30' long; they are light green and glabrous. The leaves are deciduous in Illinois and other northern areas, but they are evergreen in areas along the Gulf coast. The tiny flowers are arranged along a cylindrical spadix that is surrounded by a narrow spathe; this inflorescence is 4-8' long. The spathe is light green and glabrous, tapering gradually at both ends; it has whitish green wavy margins and remains open in the middle. The spadix is white, cream, or pale yellow. Arrow Arum is monoecious