LORI DUNN SCRATCHBOARD ART
promoting conservation through artistic efforts
Pair Of Jacks
8 x 8
SOLD
While out looking for local wildlife I often stop to admire some of our province's wildflowers. One of the most unique in Ontario is the Jack-in-the-pulpit plant (Arisaema triphyllum). Blooming from May to June, this species can be found in low open woods or swampy areas, and prefers rich moist soil composed of decaying vegetation.
The distinctive flower of this plant, crudely resembling a person preaching from a pulpit, is comprised of a hooded, leaf-like portion known as the spathe (the "pulpit") covering a club shaped spadix ("Jack") made up of tiny flowers. The zebra-like stripes of the spathe are characteristic of this species and what attracted me to depict this plant in scratchboard.
Found throughout Eastern and Midwestern North America, Jack-in-the-pulpit is also known as "Indian turnip". Native Americans would dry the taproot of the plant (the corm) and use it in cooking in a way similar to a potato. These plants can either be male or female and interestingly, can flip between sexes. Once the spathe is absorbed, the female flower (also referred to as "Jill-in-the-pulpit") is replaced with a cluster of bright red berries which are ingested and dispersed by birds and small mammals.
