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fruiting body
Top picture is of flower and bottom is of
seedling
Arisaema triphyllum
Common Name: Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Family: Araceae
Leaves: Commonly there is either on leaf or two leaves that end in three leaflets. The leaflets are elliptical in shape, green and pointed at both ends.
Flowers: This strange looking flower consists of a pulpit structure or spathe, with a canopy folded over the top. It also has a distinctive striped pattern of green and purple-brown. The flowers appear between May and June and grown 3-4 inches high.
Seeds: A dense cluster of scarlet berries.
Stem: Grows from a underground tuber.
Branching Pattern: Leaves arranged in whorled pattern around the stem
Height: 1-3 feet
Conditions/Habitat/Kind of Forest: shrubs, swamps moist soil, shade tolerant, moist forest and swamps, wet bogs and swamps
Known Wildlife Interactions: The flower is pollinated by insects. While, the fruit is eaten by small mammals such as raccoon, beaver, chipmunk; and birds.
Range: Found in eastern North America from Quebec to Louisiana and Kansas.
Conservation Status-US/ World Wide: Not threatened in U.S. or globally.
Uses (Human): This plant can be eaten but first it has to be dried or cooked to neutralize the calcium oxylate.
References:
Connecticut Wildflowers. January 20, 2006. Connecticut Botanical Society. Accessed: January 20, 2006. <http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/polygonumsagi.html>
Plants for a Future. June 2004. Accessed: January 20, 2006. <http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Polygonum+sagittatum>
The Pennsylvania Flora Project. Botany Department, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania. Accessed: January 20, 2006. <http://www.paflora.org>
Redington, Charles B. Plants in Wetlands. Redington Field Guides.1994. pg. 208
Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. 1977. pg. 36
Peterson, Roger T., MicKenny, Margaret. Wildflowers: Northeast/ North-Central Amercia. Peterson Field Guides.1996. pg. 368
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species <http://www.iucnredlist.org>