skunk cabbage
Fetid wetland plant
Skunk cabbage is a foul-smelling wetland plant of eastern North America, one of the first to emerge in early spring.
The name comes from the pungent odor released when leaves are crushed or bruised, reminiscent of skunk spray.
The plant produces a distinctive hooded flower before its large cabbage-like leaves unfurl.
Sheath enclosing flower cluster
- arumSpathe and spadix plant
- perennialRecurring each year
- rhizomeHorizontal underground plant stem
- inflorescencePlant's complete bloom arrangement
herbaceous · wildflower · thermogenic · monocot · leaf · basal · rosette · tuber
Waterlogged land ecosystem
- bogAcidic peat wetland
- swampWaterlogged land with vegetation
- marshlandWaterlogged lowland area
- fenLow marshy ground
mire · woodland · streambank · floodplain · waterlogged · mucky · bottomland · riparian
Sharply strong-smelling
- fetidHaving foul odor
- stinkyHaving unpleasant odor
- malodorousHaving a bad smell
- reekEmit strong odor
foul · rank · sulfurous · putrid · decaying · carrion · rotting · stench
Producing reproductive structures
- earlyOccurring before expected
- springRecoiling metal spiral
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- maroonDark brownish-red hue
purple · yellow · mottled · hooded · emerge · pollination · flies · beetles
spathe
Sheath enclosing flower cluster
inflorescence · herbaceous · wildflower · thermogenic · monocot · leaf · basal · rosette · tuber · rootstock
wetland
Waterlogged land ecosystem
fen · mire · woodland · streambank · floodplain · waterlogged · mucky · bottomland · riparian · seep
pungent
Sharply strong-smelling
- fetidHaving foul odor
- stinkyHaving unpleasant odor
- malodorousHaving a bad smell
reek · foul · rank · sulfurous · putrid · decaying · carrion · rotting · stench · offensive
flowering
Producing reproductive structures
maroon · purple · yellow · mottled · hooded · emerge · pollination · flies · beetles · February
pollinator
Pollen-transferring organism
wildlife · native · eastern · western · indicator · pioneer · decomposition · nutrient · adaptation · survival
- American PlantsAmerican elm, aster, azalea, bluebonnets, bluebonnet
- Northwest Florasagebrush, Douglas fir, salal, western hemlock, huckleberry
- shade plantshostas, ferns, bleeding heart, bleeding hearts, trillium
- shade/water plantsmarsh plants, water lilies, lotus, cattails, papyrus
- smelly flowerscorpse flower, rafflesia, stinkhorn, ailanthus
- understory plantsfern, trillium, mayapple, bloodroot, violet
skunk cabbagecabbage
Leafy vegetable head
broccoli · kale · Brussels sprouts · cauliflower · collard greens
skunk cabbagerose
Stood up, or fragrant bloom
jasmine · gardenia · lavender · fragrant flowers · honeysuckle
skunk cabbagecactus
Spiny desert plant
agave · prickly pear · desert plants · yucca · sagebrush
skunk, cabbage, cabbages, cabbagey, cabbageworm, cabbagehead