Orontium aquaticum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Orontium aquaticum

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Alismatales
Family:	Araceae
Genus:	Orontium
Species:	O. aquaticum
Binomial name
*Orontium aquaticum* L.
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The golden-club (scientific name: Orontium aquaticum) is a unique flowering plant. People sometimes call it the floating arum, never-wets, or tawkin. It belongs to the Araceae family, which includes plants like calla lilies.

This plant is the only living species in its group, called Orontium. Scientists have found fossils of other Orontium plants that are now extinct. The golden-club grows naturally only in the eastern United States. You can find it in ponds, streams, and shallow lakes. It really likes places where the water or soil is a bit acidic.

What Does Golden-Club Look Like?
Where Golden-Club Grows
Images for kids
See also

What Does Golden-Club Look Like?

The golden-club has long, pointed, oval-shaped leaves. These leaves have a special surface that repels water, so they often look dry even when floating. This is why one of its nicknames is "never-wets"!

The most interesting part of the golden-club is its flower structure, called an inflorescence. It has a very small, green leaf-like part that almost hides the main flower spike. This green part quickly disappears as the flower grows, leaving just the bright yellow flower spike, known as a spadix.

Where Golden-Club Grows

Golden-club plants are found in wetlands across the eastern United States. They prefer calm, shallow water. Their roots are usually in the mud at the bottom of ponds or slow-moving streams. They are an important part of these watery habitats.