brown dragon's striped hood

brown dragon's striped hood

hidden under three-lobed leaves

warns of poison below

It feels like monsoon season here in the heartland of America. More flash-flood warnings. During a one-day break in the torrential rains, I walk down to Pilgrim Creek. It's full to the brim with rushing brown water, and the piles of deadwood and flattened plants along the trail give evidence that the water has been up over the banks.
          I almost miss seeing a trio of Jack-in-the-pulpit blossoms hidden under large three-lobed umbrella leaves. I go down on my knees to get a closer look at the exotic blooms. Jack-in-the pulpit gets its name from a thumb-shaped spadix, the "Jack," which contains tiny male and female flowers and is enclosed and covered by a hooded spathe, the "pulpit." The shape and color of the inflorescence gives the plant another common name, brown dragon, although these specimens look more red than brown. This unusual plant is also called Indian turnip because it grows from a small white turnip-shaped corm, which happens to be quite poisonous.