19. JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT, INDIAN TURNIP

Arisaema triphyllum

(aroid family)

TOXICITY RATING: Low.

ANIMALS AFFECTED: All animals may be affected.

DANGEROUS PARTS OF PLANT: Bulbs, stems, possibly leaves.

CLASS OF SIGNS: Oral and gastric irritation, mouth and throat swelling on rare occasions may be severe enough to affect breathing.

PLANT DESCRIPTION: These herbaceous perennials (fig. 19) pop up in spring in Indiana woodlands. They grow 1 to 2 feet tall from a tuberous root. The large leaves are three-parted, smooth-margined, and net-veined. Each plant produces one bloom beneath the leaves on a short stalk. The "jack" is a fleshy green spike ("spadix") bearing a number of inconspicuous male and female flowers. The most noticeable

part of the bloom is the "pulpit", a modified leaf ("spathe") that wraps around and hides the spadix. It may be all green or striped with red or reddish-violet. In late summer the spathe falls away, revealing a cluster of bright red berries.

SIGNS and FIRST AID: See the section for the Aroid discussion. Rarely is enough of this plant consumed to cause a problem, but the potential exists, especially in spring when other forages are not readily available and if the livestock have access to a wooded area. Signs are self-limiting, and a veterinarian only needs to be contacted if signs do not resolve or if breathing is affected.

PREVENTION: Jack-in-the-Pulpit grows in wooded, shaded areas in the spring, so limit animal access to these areas when plants begin to emerge.