Symplocarpus foetidus - Skunk cabbage

Skunk cabbage

Symplocarpus foetidus is a low growing, foul-smelling plant that grows in wetlands of eastern North America.

Uses

Bronchitis, Vomiting, Headaches, Dizziness, Nervous disorders, Whooping cough, Catarrh, Fever, Epilepsy

Parts Used

Chemical Composition

Characteristic aroma-active compounds in the oils were detected by GC-Olfactometry (GC-O) and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). From the HD method, the main compounds in the oil were found to be p-vinyl-guaiacol (15.5%), 2-pentyl-furan (13.4%), and (Z)-ligustilide (9.5%). From the SAFE method, the main compounds were 2-butoxy-ethanol (49.6%), ethyl-pentanoate (4.5%), and mesitylene (4.0%)^[1]

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada
Hindi
Malayalam
Tamil
Telugu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit
English	Skunk cabbage

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Dravya

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Tikshna (Sharp)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Kapha, Vata

Prabhava

Habit

Herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	Alternate	A vibrant yellow-green, springing up along streams and other wetland areas when the rest of the forest floor is still wintry

^[2]

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	2-6" high	yellow or green	5	Inside is the round or ovoid spadix, a fleshy axis bearing the tiny true flowers

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
General	7–10 mm	clearly grooved lengthwise, Lowest hooked hairs aligned towards crown	-	many	{{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Sow seeds upon collection in a peaty soil kept constantly moist. Seedlings require considerable time to mature. To increase by division, dig around the dormant plant and remove it with as much of the deep-penetrating, offensive-smelling rhizome as possible. Skunk cabbage requires the whole of the growing season to mature its seeds. The fruiting spadix darkens and become spongy as it develops. In early fall, when the seeds are ripe, the spadix is often found on the ground at the base of the leaves. Remove seeds from spadix. Seeds can not be stored. ^[3]

Commonly seen growing in areas

In Marshes, Bogs areas.

Photo Gallery

Leaves
Leaves
Flowers
Flower

References

External Links

[chemical_composition-1] "chemical constituents"

[Leaf-2] "plant description"

[How_to_plant.2Fcultivate-3] "Cultivation details"

[1]

[2]

[3]

Symplocarpus foetidus - Skunk cabbage

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