Jack in the Pulpit becomes Jackie in the Pulpit

On Sunday , in the pouring rain I went on a two hour walk in an old growth forest with two botanists and an entomologist. Sounds like a good time right. I was hoping to probe the experts and obtain answers as to why the trilliums are turning green and what can be done to stop this disease. Well, it seems that I knew more about that situations then the experts but they did refer me to a trillium specialist with the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario. When I got home I fired off and email to them but as I am writing this I have not as yet received a response. So no trillium news but I want to share some very interesting facts I learned about one of my all time favorite wild flowers, Jack in the Pulpit.
Jack is also known as Arisaema Triphyllum . It has no stem, only basal leaves usually two of them divided into three equal parts ( thus the tri in the name).

The pulpit is called the spathe.

Jack is the spadix.

Now comes the most interesting fact that Ivana Stehlik, a botany professor from the University of Toronto, taught me. Every jack in the pulpit has the potential to be male or female . When it is a small plant with less resources ( energy sources) it is male . After a number of years , sometimes up to 15 years , when the plant is larger , its roots more developed, it has more resources and energy sources and then jack becomes jackie , in other words the plant expresses itself as a female. If the plant gets picked or eaten by deer it doesn't die but turns back into a male flower in the next season. If you are walking in the woods and see this plant the small plants will be males an the taller ones with larger pulpits females. Isn't this amazing!!!

Another very interesting fact is about the poor little gnats that pollinate the "Jackie's" . The story starts with the little gnats falling in to the pulpit of the male plant. The side of the pulpit is so smooth and slippery that the gnat can't climb out and spend a lot of time getting covered in pollen looking for a way out. At the base of every male pulpit is a tiny little escape route. If you look really closely at the base of this pulpit you will see a small hole or defect in the base. You may need to zoom in to see it.

Those little gnats are not the brightest insects on the block. They keep falling into pulpits , covering themselves with pollen and escaping. That is until they happen to fall into a female's pulpit. There they pollinate the spadix and there is no escape because the female pulpits have no opening at the base. The gnats are trapped . Later in the season when the fruit develops you can find encased carcasses of doomed gnats in the fruit. I am sorry I don't have a picture of this but I will try to get one later in the season. There you have it a tragic love story involving jack , jackie and the little gnat.

I almost forgot to mention that the winner of the last draw is Clara. I will be sending her an email . I also wanted to thank everyone who commented on the bluenose ship jacket, posted yesterday . Your comments and encouragement mean so much to me. I really appreciate it. Back to work today after a cold, wet but restful weekend.

Comments

[Christina]

Very interesting. And great photos. I also love your jacket in the last post!

[Annie]

This is really fascinating. I have never been much for plants, but after moving to a house with a yard overgrowing with all sorts of plants and flowers I've slowly been learning what they are. I've been taking photos and trying to figure out what I have growing in my yard. It is interesting to read more about the life of plants, thanks for sharing!

[rebekah]

what an interesting love triangle! as with all, it is bound to not work out for someone (poor little gnat).

[helen]

beautiful story and photos . I love this plant but have not found it in my woods yet . I will keep looking .

[Patricia]

I love learning about plant-insect symbiosis, and this one is so specialized. At least the gnats die happy!

[Elsita :)]

Isn't nature something amazing Margie?!!!!!
Human imagination can be pretty amazing but nature is always beyond human imagination. I love all the things that I learn in your blog and i love the fact that you are a nature lover!!!!
Hugs!
Elsita :)

[kbaxterpackwood]

Our Jack in the Pulpits are green - central Iowa. they are the same color as yours as you get closer to the Mississippi River.

[kbaxterpackwood]

Check my blog for the green Jack in the Pulpits!

http://www.thistlequill.blogspot.com