Jack in the Pulpit

Picture taken near GCT1E3, Fishermans Cache, Red Rock Dam area, North Overlook Nature Trail, 2007

I just found this picture. It is really cool, and what you would see right now if you searched for Jack in the Pulpit (Specimen #5 in my 100 Species catalog). Jack in the Pulpit in September is quite different than Jack in the Pulpit in May. You may not see the leaves at all in either month. If you do see leaves, they come in two's from the same point source, sort of like garden bulbs -- they grow from corms like gladiolus, freesia, etc.

Although I have read that Natives Americans prepared the plant somehow to heal sore eyes, this plant is generally poisonous. It contains calcium oxalate. I have also read that Natives would leave the meat of the plant out for enemies' consumption!

100 Species Challenge

Specimen #5.

Jack in the Pulpit

Arisaema triphyllum

Photographed April 2007 by me.

This is one plant that you just don't forget. I had never seen one in real life until I was an adult visiting Maquoketa Caves State Park, but I knew it as soon as I saw it. There were many Jack in the Pulpits (or would that be Jacks in the Pulpit? And wouldn't it be funny if our pastor was a skinny guy named Jack?) at Maquoketa, and this particular plant was also one of many.

I took this picture at Thomas Mitchell Park while hunting for a geocache. We met friends for a playdate and had a great time in the creek and on the playground. After they all left, we tried to find three caches. We found stage one of the now-archived GCKAVD, Hole in the Tree with a couple friends, and nothing else. So we did not turn them on to the hobby/sport of caching.

Wait, let me re-state that -- we found no more caches. We found lots of other things, including animal bones and tracks-- see the pics. I think the tracks are rabbit tracks. Elmer Fudd the voice if you like -- "wabbit twacks."

Keep in mind that I can't control this layout like I can using my beloved PageMaker, so forgive the crappy arrangement of the photos. The editor is not WYSIWYG.