Zantedeschia

Acaulescent herbs with rhizomatous or discoid tubers. Leaves simple, several per shoot, glabrous, rosulate, deciduous or evergreen; with 2 or 3 subulate cataphylls; petiole long, lacking apical pulvinus, base sometimes mottled or striped with white or purple, sometimes with trichomes; lamina variable, lanceolate, ovate or orbicular, with or without white pellucid spots. Inflorescence contemporary with leaves; peduncle usually as long as, or longer than leaves. Spathe cylindrical or funnel-shaped, convolute at base, with or without a purple-coloured blotch at base within, persistent, limb spreading, truncate to acute, white, cream, yellow, pink or red. Spadix shorter than spathe, sessile or sometimes +/- stipitate; basal portion pistillate, apical portion staminate. Flowers without perianth segments. Maleflowers with stamens free; anthers sessile, oblong, truncate at apex, dehiscing by apical pores; pollen white, emitted in fine long threads. Female flowers with or without staminodes; ovary 3-locular; ovules 1-8 per locule, with axile or subapical placentation; style short, terete; stigma capitate. Fruit a berry; few- to many-seeded, green or orange when ripe. Seeds subglobose or ovoid, mucilaginous, verrucose; with abundant endosperm. x= 8.