We went to the usual boggy and buggy place Saturday (June 13) looking for Jack-in-the-Pulpit plants (Arisaema triphyllum). We saw just two complete plants. By “complete” we mean having a striped protective spathe (“Pulpit”), within which a flower spike spadix (“Jack”) is standing (some might say hiding). The scarcity of the “pulpits” probably is because our woods are in a semi-drought condition.
Much about this plant is strange, beginning with its name. We have a “pulpit” that virtually hides its occupant and that occupant is called by the nickname “Jack,” which does not sound to us like a religious preacher. Who was this Jack supposed to be? We did some research and found nothing on point. Perhaps Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a play on Jack-in-the-Box, where you also can’t see Jack most of the time. Does anyone know the history of this plant’s name?
But wait, there’s more: The Jack that you see (if you get on your hands and knees and look from the side) may be a Jill! This plant can change from male to female before its yearly appearance, as energy needs require. Whether the plant hides a Jack or a Jill, you better not taste it raw – it’s toxic to humans. (Brooklin)