Peltandra, commonly known as arrow arums, is a small genus of aquatic and semi-aquatic flowering plants in the family Araceae, order Alismatales. The genus comprises two extant species native to North America and Cuba, along with one fossil species (Peltandra primaeva) known from Eocene deposits of the Golden Valley Formation in North Dakota.
Plants in this genus are herbaceous perennials that grow in wetland and riparian habitats. Their common name refers to the arrow-shaped (sagittate) leaves characteristic of the group. The two living species differ in flower color and range: Peltandra virginica, the green arrow arum, is widespread across eastern North America from Maine south to Florida and west to Texas, Kansas, and Minnesota, with additional populations in Quebec, Ontario, Oregon, California, Washington, and Cuba; Peltandra sagittifolia, the white arrow arum or spoon flower, has a more restricted range in the southeastern United States from eastern Louisiana to Virginia.
Peltandra belongs to the large monocot family Araceae, which includes familiar plants such as calla lilies, philodendrons, and skunk cabbage. Within Araceae, arrow arums are part of the order Alismatales, a lineage of predominantly aquatic and wetland-adapted flowering plants.
Distribution
Peltandra is native to the eastern United States, ranging from Maine south to Florida and west to Texas, Kansas, and Minnesota, with populations also in eastern Canada (Quebec and Ontario), the Pacific states (Oregon, California, and Washington), and Cuba. Peltandra sagittifolia has a narrower range restricted to the southeastern US, from eastern Louisiana to Virginia.
Ecology
Arrow arums are wetland specialists, growing in marshes, swamps, stream margins, and other freshwater riparian habitats across their range. Their aquatic and semi-aquatic lifestyle is consistent with the broader ecology of the order Alismatales, most of whose members are adapted to waterlogged or submerged conditions.
Taxonomy Notes
The genus name Peltandra is applied to two extant species and one fossil species: P. primaeva from the Eocene Golden Valley Formation of North Dakota, indicating the lineage has a long evolutionary history in North America. GBIF currently recognizes one accepted descendant under the genus, reflecting ongoing taxonomic revision of the group.
