Symplocarpus foetidus, commonly known as skunk cabbage or eastern skunk cabbage (also swamp cabbage, clumpfoot cabbage, or meadow cabbage, foetid pothos or polecat weed), is a low-growing plant that grows in wetlands and moist hill slopes of eastern North America. Bruised leaves present an odor reminiscent of skunk.

Symplocarpus combines the Greek word symploce, meaning "connection" and carpos, meaning "fruit", to indicate that the plant has a compound fruit.

Linnaeus gave the plant its species name of foetidus, Latin for "bad-smelling". The plant produces a strong odor, which is repulsive to many but sometimes described as smelling like "fresh cabbage with a slight suggestion of mustard". Due to thermogenic properties, spathes can melt the surrounding ice in a circle around the spathe. The spathes are hood-like or shell-like in shape. Their mottling closely mimics the fluttering lights and hues frequently observed on underbrush as the sun passes through the leaves of the trees above. On the forest floor, this usually makes it difficult to observe them. The flowers are inconspicuously crowded on the spadix. The spathes act as the conspicuous portion of the plant. The inflorescence differs in size and the amount of flowers it contains. In Tennessee, it is protected as an endangered species. Its habitats include moist regions including marshes, wet forests, and stream banks. Like others in the arum family, the eastern skunk cabbage grows best in areas with great moisture. Additionally, the airflow around the spathe effectively maintains heat generated by the spadix.

Eastern skunk cabbage blooms while there is snow and ice on the ground, yet early insects that also emerge at this time effectively pollinate it. According to certain research, the heat the plant generates may aid in dispersing its odour in the atmosphere in addition to enabling the plant to flourish in cold environments.

Skunk cabbage plants generate skunk-like floral odours that contain dimethyl disulfide, aliphatic hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids, and esters, whereas only female plants produce aromatic hydrocarbons and indole chemicals. The fact that the spathe is warmer than the surrounding air may induce carrion-feeding insects to enter it more than once, promoting pollination.

Calliphora vomitoria and other blowflies are common pollinators of skunk cabbage. Curiously, spiders' webs were frequently noticed at the entrance to the spathes. The flower's carrion-like odor attracts the flies, which become tangled in the spider's web and become food for the spider. In particular, the Winnebago and Dakota tribes utilized it to encourage phlegm evacuation in asthma patients.

alt=Springtime skunk cabbage growing in a stream bed at the Trexler Nature Preserve in Pennsylvania.|thumb|Plants growing in a stream bed at the [[Trexler Nature Preserve in Pennsylvania]]

Toxicity

Since its roots are antispasmodic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, expectorant, and slightly narcotic, it is not recommended to consume the raw plant directly. This is due to calcium oxalate crystals, which are moderately harmful to humans. It is possible to eliminate the toxicity with care, such as changing the water frequently when boiling the leaves, or thoroughly drying the plant.

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File:앉은부채.jpg|Eastern skunk cabbage melting a hole through snow.

File:Symplocarpus foetidus 002.JPG|A cut-away view of the spadix (flower cluster) inside the spathe of the skunk cabbage.

File:Eastern Skunk Cabbage along brook in sprintime.jpg|Early spring growth of eastern skunk cabbage along a flowing brook on the island of Martha's Vineyard

File:Skunk cabbage and marsh marigolds.jpg|Skunk cabbage leaves and blooming marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris) in a wooded marsh

File:Symplocarpus foetidus (Eastern skunk cabbage) sprouting.jpg|Skunk cabbage emerging from ground during winter

File:SkunkCabbageThermalCam.jpg|alt=Left: Photograph of Eastern Skunk Cabbage spadix and first leaves. Right: Thermal image with bright yellow spadix, indicating a source of warmth, surrounded by leaves and branches in shades of pink and purple, indicating cold surfaces.|Thermal imaging of a newly emerged eastern skunk cabbage showing heat, via thermogenesis, in the spadix

</gallery>

See also

  • Lysichiton americanus (western skunk cabbage): also known for producing a foul smell, and often confused with eastern skunk cabbage
  • Lysichiton camtschatcensis (Asian skunk cabbage): from north-east Asia, but not known for producing a foul smell

References

  • Connecticut Botanical Society: Symplocarpus foetidus
  • Illinois Wildflowers: Symplocarpus foetidus
  • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Symplocarpus foetidus
  • Minnesota Wildflowers: Symplocarpus foetidus
  • Plants For A Future: Symplocarpus foetidus