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Piggish Purity. Zantedeschia aethiopica, Arum Lily, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

In South Africa this pretty Lily is called Varkblom or Varklelie, Hog Flower or Hog Lily. That name derives from the propensity of Hogs to root for the tubers of our plant. Actually, I rather like that name. The wallowing mud of Pigs stands in fine contrast to the pure white of these flowers. I don't know whether pigs get rheumatism from all that wallowing; but the leaves of this Lily serve to alleviate its symptoms in human beings.

Zantedeschia is for Giovanni Zantedeschi (1773-1846), a friend and lively correspondent of well-known and versatile Kurt Sprengel (1766-1833), a physician and botanist. The latter published a series of books on the history of medicine, but is best remembered for his pioneering microscopic work on the tissues of plants.

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Uploaded on January 4, 2020
Taken on January 4, 2020