Skunk Cabbage

The first wildflowers of the year here in Central Pennsylvania arestarting to bloom. The cold hardy Skunk Cabbage first emerges as Spathes. Within the Spathe is a heat generating(thermogenic) growth called a Spadix, which keeps the interior at a toasty 70 degrees(f) regardless of the outside temps. When it senses it's safe, the Spathe opens up revealing the Spadix which is covered with tiny white flowers which are pollinated by flies/bees. It then grows out to be a large green leafed plant. The early stages always look  like something from "The Alien" to me. Pentax Kiii/55-300PLM,

Spathes

Spadix and flowers

Interesting Joel - I guess it stinks?

ozdean wrote:

Interesting Joel - I guess it stinks?

Since it appears so early in the year, and the flowers need to be pollinated, they normally start out be releasing a decaying meat scent to attract dung beetles and blowflies. It can switch on two other scents; a garlic scent and a flower scent as the season progresses. Later in the year, I've seen honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees feeding on the flowers.  The leaves have a skunk like flavor when mature and because they contain oxalic acid which can burn skin,  most animals won't eat them and they can blister human skin This is one plant that intends to survive!! Some people do boil the young shoots several times and rinse them. At that point they're edible....not worth the effort. The plant is used in modern herbal medicene as a anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory. A drug called Dracontium was made from it and was listed as a cure for insanity.

joelbolden wrote:

A drug called Dracontium was made from it and was listed as a cure for insanity.

Ah, that's the drug all the camera companies bought up and made disappear..