Voodoo Lily

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Voodoo Lily
• monarch-of-the-East
• red-calla
• voodo-lily

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Alocasia pentaphylla
• Alocasia pedata
• Arisaema pentaphyllum
• Sauromatum guttatum var. punctatum
• Sauromatum guttatum var. sessiliflorum
• Sauromatum guttatum var. pedatum
• Sauromatum guttatum var. pulchrum
• Sauromatum nervosum
• Sauromatum guttatum var. venosum
• Sauromatum abyssinicum
• Typhonium venosum
• Jaimenostia fernandopoana
• Desmesia venosum
• Arum pentaphyllum
• Arum pedatum
• Arum sessiliflorum
• Arum fugax
• Arum venosum
• Arum clavatum
• Sauromatum nubicum
• Sauromatum pedatum
• Sauromatum pulchrum
• Sauromatum punctatum
• Sauromatum sessiliflorum
• Sauromatum simlense
• Sauromatum guttatum
• Sauromatum angolense
• Sauromatum guttatum var. simlense
• Arisaema venosum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Aliasmaetales, it is classified under the family Araceae. Specifically, its taxonomic designation is identified by the genus Sauromatum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical range that spans from temperate European regions to the tropical landscapes of Africa. In Northern Europe, its presence can be identified within Great Britain. Moving into Middle Europe, the species is also found documented in Germany. Its distribution extends significantly into West-Central Tropical Africa, where it inhabits the Central African Republic. Furthermore, the plant is commonly located within the tropical territories of Cameroon and Gabon.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Sauromatum venosum is characterized by a highly specific altitudinal niche, as it is strictly confined to a narrow elevational band. This species is documented to occur exclusively at an elevation of 1300 m AMSL, representing both its minimum and maximum altitudinal limits. This precise distribution suggests that the plant is adapted to the specific climatic conditions, such as temperature ranges, moisture levels, and atmospheric pressure, found uniquely at this height. Such a restricted elevational range implies that the species occupies a specialized ecological zone, potentially making it sensitive to environmental shifts within its specific montane or sub-montane habitat.

Elevational range max:

1300 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Sauromatum venosum is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. Structurally, it functions as a cryptophyte, utilizing specialized underground structures to protect its vital organs during unfavorable conditions. Furthermore, its specific life form is classified as a geophyte, indicating that it relies on geophytic organs, such as bulbs, tubers, or rhizomes, to survive dormancy and ensure regeneration in its natural habitat.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Sauromatum venosum is characterized by a non-woody, herbaceous growth form, specifically classified as a herb and a forb. It functions as an independent organism, lacking any parasitic or epiphytic tendencies, and maintains a primarily terrestrial existence rather than being aquatic or semiaquatic. Although it exhibits a self-supporting habit, it does not function as a climbing liana or a vine, instead relying on its own structural integrity to maintain its upright position.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Sauromatum venosum is characterized by a metabolic framework driven by the C3 photosynthetic pathway. As a C3 plant, its carbon fixation process relies on the direct carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) by the enzyme RuBisCO, leading to the immediate formation of a three-carbon compound, 3-phosphoglycerate. This pathway indicates that the plant performs its primary photosynthetic activities under standard atmospheric conditions without the specialized anatomical adaptations seen in C4 or CAM species, such as Kranz anatomy or nocturnal acid accumulation. Consequently, its physiological efficiency is heavily influenced by environmental variables such as light intensity, temperature, and water availability, as the reliance on the C3 cycle makes it susceptible to photorespiration when stomatal conductance decreases under heat or drought stress.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Sauromatum venosum is characterized by the production of seeds that exhibit a highly consistent morphology and weight profile. Based on measured data, the seed mass remains uniform across the sampled population, with a mean seed mass of 0.0151 g. This consistency is further evidenced by the fact that both the maximum and minimum recorded seed mass values are identical at 0.0151 g, indicating a lack of significant variance in individual seed weight during the reproductive cycle.

Seed mass mean:

0.0151 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Sauromatum venosum has 10 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 12-O-Acetylingol 8-tiglate, 2,6-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC ACID, Alkanes, Linoleate, PHENOTHIAZINE.

12-O-Acetylingol 8-tiglate

1. Analytical sciences : the international journal of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry

2,6-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC ACID

1. Intrinsically disordered proteins

Alkanes

1. Analytical sciences : the international journal of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry

Linoleate

1. Plant physiology

PHENOTHIAZINE

1. Archives of biochemistry and biophysics

aspirin

1. Intrinsically disordered proteins

oleate

1. Plant physiology

oleic acid

1. Plant physiology

palmitate

1. Plant physiology

salicylic acid

1. Intrinsically disordered proteins

Conditions

Sauromatum venosum has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cancer.

Cancer

1. Analytical sciences : the international journal of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry