Our annual reunion of preachers named Jack is starting. That is, Jack-in-the-Pulpit plants (Arisaema triphyllum) are starting to appear in the darker and damper areas of our woods, as you see from this image:
The botanical baptizers who gave this plant its most common name apparently viewed the plants’ three-part (“trifoliate”) leaves as the church and their underlying striped “spathes” (protective enclosures) as pulpits in which the flower spikes/”spadices” were preachers named Jack.
I’ve been unable to find out why the name “Jack” was chosen for the preachers. (Perhaps it was inspired by the historic Jack-in-the-box toy.) However, some of these plants are female and should be considered “Jills-in-the-Pulpit.” Nonetheless, these plants also are commonly known as Indian Turnip, Bog Onion, Brown Dragon, and Starchwort.
These native plants are graceful things, but dangerous: their leaves are significant irritants to humans and can be toxic to horses, dogs, and cats. However, Native Americans used the plants’ roots to treat rheumatism and snake bites. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on June 11, 2023.)