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''Spathiphyllum'' is a genus of about 47 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas and southeastern Asia. Certain species of ''Spathiphyllum'' are commonly known as spath or peace lilies.

They are evergreen herbaceous perennial plants with large leaves 12–65 cm long and 3–25 cm broad. The flowers are produced in a spadix, surrounded by a 10–30 cm long, white, yellowish, or greenish spathe. The plant does not need large amounts of light or water to survive. They are most often grown as houseplants, however they are able to withstand the elements well enough to thrive when planted outdoors in situations that are hot and humid.

Etymology

Schott's description of the genus refers to ', where ' is a spathe, and ' is an adjective modifying spathe, meaning relating to a leaf, and ' means continuing or persisting. ' also means a leaf. The more common name of peace lily derives from the plants symbolism for peace, purity, and healing, and has also been associated with the white flag, which is a signal for truce.

Selected species

Species include:

* '' Spathiphyllum atrovirens''
* '' Spathiphyllum bariense''
* '' Spathiphyllum blandum''
* '' Spathiphyllum brevirostre''
* '' Spathiphyllum cannifolium''
* '' Spathiphyllum cochlearispathum''
* '' Spathiphyllum commutatum''
* ''Spathiphyllum cuspidatum''
* '' Spathiphyllum floribundum''
* '' Spathiphyllum friedrichsthalii''
* '' Spathiphyllum fulvovirens''
* '' Spathiphyllum gardneri''
* '' Spathiphyllum grandifolium''
* '' Spathiphyllum jejunum''
* '' Spathiphyllum juninense''
* '' Spathiphyllum kalbreyeri''
* '' Spathiphyllum kochii''
* '' Spathiphyllum laeve''
* '' Spathiphyllum lechlerianum''
* ''Spathiphyllum maguirei''
* '' Spathiphyllum mawarinumae''
* '' Spathiphyllum monachinoi''
* '' Spathiphyllum montanum''
* '' Spathiphyllum neblinae''
* '' Spathiphyllum ortgiesii''
* '' Spathiphyllum patini''
* '' Spathiphyllum perezii''
* '' Spathiphyllum phryniifolium''
* '' Spathiphyllum quindiuense''
* '' Spathiphyllum silvicola''
* ''Spathiphyllum solomonense''
* ''Spathiphyllum wallisii''
* ''Spathiphyllum wendlandii''

Cultivated hybrids include:
* ''Spathiphyllum'' × ''clevelandii''

Cultivation and uses

Several species are popular indoor houseplants. It lives best in shade and needs little sunlight to thrive, and is watered approximately once a week. The soil is best left moist but only needs watering if the soil is dry. The NASA Clean Air Study found that ''Spathiphyllum'' cleans certain gaseous environmental contaminants, including benzene and formaldehyde. However, subsequent tests have shown this cleaning effect is far too small to be practical.

The cultivar 'Mauna Loa' has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Toxicity

Although it is called a "lily", the peace lily is not a true lily from the family Liliaceae. True lilies are highly toxic (poisonous) to cats and dogs, but the peace lily, ''spathiphyllum'' is only mildly toxic to humans and other animals when ingested. It contains calcium oxalate crystals, which can cause skin irritation, a burning sensation in the mouth, difficulty swallowing, and nausea, but it does ''not'' contain the toxins found in true lilies, which could cause acute kidney failure in cats and some other animals.

In popular culture

* The 7th track on ''Mother Earth's Plantasia'', an early electronic album that was composed for plants to listen to, is "Swingin' Spathiphyllums".

* Simon Pegg's character PC Nicholas Angel in the movie '' Hot Fuzz'' has a peace lily that appears in several scenes and is referred to throughout the film. Angel's dedication to caring for the peace lily serves to symbolize his highly structured lifestyle and by-the-book approach to policing, which he abandons when he shatters the plant over the head of Michael "Lurch" Armstrong.

See also

* '' Anthurium'', similar looking genus of plants in same family
* List of plants known as lily

References

External links

Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Spathiphyllum'' species list

{{Taxonbar, from=Q132632

Araceae genera