« Previous Day: Tecophilaea cyanocrocus |
Main
| Next Day: Lycoperdon perlatum »
Nov 20, 2009: Caltha leptosepala var. leptosepala
Nov 21, 2007:
Adansonia digitata
Nov 21, 2006:
Juncus sp.
Nov 21, 2005:
Nerine pudica
February 4, 2009 : Lysichiton americanus
Interested in subscribing? Visit the main Botany Photo of the Day page and fill out the form in the upper right corner!
Plant Family / Families: Araceae
Scientific Name and Author: Lysichiton americanus Hultén & St. John
Institution: Dunvegan Castle Botanical Garden
Name Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland, United Kingdom
Thanks to Ruth S. for both today's write-up and this photograph (which has undergone the process of film to print to scanned image).
An obvious arum family member, the yellow skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) is one of two species in the genus. I had thought that my father George F. Sanborn Jr. of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island had taken this photograph, but he reminded me it was a photograph I took in Scotland some time ago. Thanks for the reminder, Dad!
Both species of Lysichiton emit a thick, musky odour from their spathes when in bloom to attract pollinators and are therefore collectively called the skunk cabbages. The beetle Peelecomalius testaceum is the traditional pollinator. These coleopterans feed on the pollen, use the inflorescence as a mating site and carry uneaten pollen to the next inflorescence.
The species Lysichiton americanus has a yellow spathe while the sister species, Lysichiton camtschatcensis, or Asian skunk cabbage, is white. Hybrids of the two exist in the wild and produce a cream-colored spathe. Both species are marginal aquatic plants, and are hence found on the margins of water bodies such as streams, lakes or rivers. They can also be found in low wet woodlands. Lysichiton americanus is native to western North America and has become naturalized in Europe. A single specimen was supposedly collected from Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, but this population has never been rediscovered. It loves acidic soil and is an RHS Award of Garden Merit plant.
Native Americans used the leaves as a sort of wax paper. Also, the entire plant was eaten in times of famine. It was otherwise not a normal part of the diet of the people of northwestern North America.
Botany resource link (from Daniel): A botanical garden web site I've been impressed by recently is the Denver Botanic Gardens -- you might like to visit it as well!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at February 4, 2009 10:26 PM
Read recent comments on all BPotD Entries
Comments
Posted by: Lizzie Linton at February 5, 2009 12:20 AM
I understand that this plant has the animalian characteristic of generating it's own internal heat in order to melt the springtime snow. Perhaps some info could be added on this.
Posted by: Don Fenton at February 5, 2009 12:35 AM
Used the leaves as "a sort of wax paper." I love that!
Posted by: Bonnie at February 5, 2009 3:40 AM
With regards to the heat producing process of the Skunk cabbages . These are members of the aroide family which has a number of speices that produce heat in and along the flower spathe. Since one of the most famous is Monstera deliciosa it seems unlikely that the intent is to melt snow as Monstera grows in the tropical jungles of Central America. Rather, the heat producing mechanism is entirely a part of the flowering process and its purpose is to provide a nice warm humid environment for the pollinating beetles to spend the night out of harms way and as well as the cold environment outside the flower. When day comes the bettles move out to the next flower. The female portion of the flower is the heat maker , hey , when you're hot you're hot and this signals receptivity for pollen . Since the male portions of the flower mature at a different rate than the females the process encourages cross pollination and very little or any self pollination occurs . The poor beetles are at the mercy of the females as alas most of us males bettle or not.
Posted by: Bill Barnes at February 5, 2009 3:53 AM
Enjoyed the article, and love the parting shot of Mr Barnes!!
Posted by: annie morgan at February 5, 2009 6:17 AM
Thermogenesis in at least one aroid has been linked to snow melting. The very early spring flowering eastern skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus often emerges out of the ice. Thermogenesis in other aroids, as well as flowers such as Magnolia, is thought to play a role in scent volatilization, but this seems less likely the case in S. foetidus, were the creation of "heat islands" seems more important. Check out the article by Seymore and Blaylock in the Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol 50, No 338, 1525-1532, (1999)
Posted by: Kevin Kubeck at February 5, 2009 8:07 AM
I've heard that if you find skunk cabbage you know you're not on Saturna Island, in the Gulf Islands of BC. Not enough waterways I suppose. I wonder if this is true of other Gulf or San Juan Islands?
Posted by: Deborah Gibson at February 5, 2009 10:40 AM
Lots of it, here in Nanaimo.
Posted by: Old Ari at February 5, 2009 1:43 PM
Kevin briefly mentioned the *other* skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, found on the eastern coast of North America.
When I moved to the West before getting into botany I was very confused by what people were calling "Skunk cabbage" out here, as I was used to seeing Symplocarpus foetidus during my childhood in Alabama.
Posted by: Eric in SF at February 5, 2009 2:09 PM
I live in Denver. If you get a chance to go to the botanical gardens don't miss it. I have not been in the spring or summer yet but a few times in the fall. The vegtable garden with everything ripe is wonderful to see with the little animals eating the vetables is fun to see. Two years ago I was there to see the rare blooming of the centery plant. what a thrill that was. funny as it sounds I like the smell of the skunk cabbage.
Posted by: Elaine at February 5, 2009 4:07 PM
It has been my experience that the inflorescences of the native species have a pleasant smell, perhaps like that of toothpaste, and that the skunky odor is instead a feature of the broken foliage during summer.
Posted by: Ron B at February 7, 2009 5:46 PM
I often wondered the correct pronunciation of this plant?
Lizzykiton?or Lizichiton???? Help...
I look forward to seeing these plants found along the edge of pathways in the damp forests and streams, as it brings light to our coming spring weather...
Posted by: K Baron at February 7, 2009 6:02 PM
What an interesting photograph. I like the yellow colour so bright and clear.
I also liked the link to the Denver Botanic Gardens.
Thank you,
Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at February 8, 2009 3:47 PM
Eating this is not good. This may cause birth defects (hand deformity at best) if eatten about 40 days in gesation.
Posted by: jeff elliott at February 15, 2009 8:01 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
Post a comment
XML Feeds: Atom | RSS 2.0 | RSS 1.0 | What is RSS? | RSS Tools
Botany Photo of the Day and all associated images are licensed under a Creative Commons License except when otherwise specified in the accompanying written entry.
About Botany Photo of the Day | Submit Your Photos via Flickr | Submit Your Photos via UBCBG's Discussion Forums
Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.
The Head Gardner for the National Trust Garden in Brodick Castle Gardens, Scotland advised against planting this spp anywhere near a water course.. spreads so easily that it can colonise the entire river bank. Beautiful, yes but invasive..