#aresaema triphyllum

[thebashfulbotanist]

Arisaema triphyllum is a strange-looking plant that’s actually not that unusual for its family, Araceae. The English common name is Jack-in-the-pulpit. “Jack” is the spadix, which is essentially a spike with teeny tiny flowers, and the “pulpit” is the spathe, which is usually brown or purplish striped. Although the oxalic acid produced by the plant is poisonous to humans, there are ways to cook the corm so it’s edible. We wouldn’t advise trying this, however! Apparently even appropriately cooked, it has an unpleasant taste. It’s also been used as a weapon by some Indigenous groups, notably the Meskwaki (Fox) people, who very likely at some point collected it in Iowa, where this plant was found. 

#jack-in-the-pulpit #aresaema triphyllum #araceae #plants of iowa #botany