Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) is a distinctive, stemless plant that predominately grows in the woods. Its fruits are a mass of brilliant red or scarlet berries. It displays a distinctive cycle of growth and development in which not only the age of the plant but also the conditions and limitations of its environment determine its relative gender and also its potential fertility. A seedling growing either from a fertilized seed or from a vegetative cormlet will spend from four to six years in a pre-reproductive, vegetative form.
Jack-in-the-pulpit Toxic Components
A. triphyllum contains oxalic acid and asparagines. The roots, in particular, have very high levels of these chemicals. The berries cause physical abrasions in the mucous membranes resulting from the crystals of calcium oxalate.
