Skunk Cabbage

Symplocarpus foetidus

COMMON NAMES

• Skunk Cabbage

The skunk cabbage is a perennially growing tuberous plant that has plump rootstock giving rise to covered, stout and oval-shaped barbs bearing petite purple hued blooms. The flowers normally blossom between the later parts of winter to early spring before the skunk cabbage leaves begin to appear. Usually, the skunk cabbage plant grows up to a height of 40 cm or 16 inches and produces leaves that have a heart-shape appearance. The skunk cabbage is named so because its leaves look a lot like the leaves of the cabbage.

The plant is indigenous to the United States and found in plenty in swampy places in the northern and central parts of the country. The entire skunk cabbage plant has an intense fetid smell largely depending on the unstable determinant and the smell is normally degenerated by heat instantly. The tuber or rhizome of the plant needs to be harvested during autumn or in the early parts of spring. In addition, it is important to bear in mind that the rhizome should not be maintained for a single season because it gets worse with age and dehydration. In the market, skunk cabbage rhizomes are available in tubular parts that are usually two inches or little more in length and measure one inch in diameter. More frequently, the skunk cabbage rhizomes are found in slanting slivers that are compacted and ridged. The rhizomes have a dark brown hue on the exterior and are white or yellowish inside. In fact, compared to the roots of the plant, the seeds of the skunk cabbage are considered to be more vigorous and are able to conserve their valuable features for longer periods. The skunk cabbage roots have a pungent flavor and give out a foul smell when they are battered or crushed open. However, when decoctions are prepared with the plant’s roots, it does not retain the pungent flavor.

The pungent smelling roots of the skunk cabbage have been a popular conventional cure for bronchitis, tight coughs and phlegm or catarrh. Several herbal medical practitioners recommend the skunk cabbage to treat nervous disorders as it is said to have moderate sedative or tranquilizing properties. In earlier times, an indigenous tribe of America also breathed in the aroma of the mashed skunk cabbage leaves to get relief from headaches.

USES

The skunk cabbage has several medicinal uses, including anti-spasmodic, expectorant (medicine for coughs), diaphoretic (a sweat inducing agent) and narcotic. However, when medicines prepared with skunk cabbage are taken in large measures, it leads to queasiness or nausea, vomiting, headache, vertigo and even blurriness of sight. Although there is no scientific evidence to prove the claims, many herbal medical practitioners assert that they have successfully used the plant parts and extracts to heal incessant catarrh, asthma, chronic rheumatism (stiffness of body parts), chorea (jerky spasmodic movements caused by diseases), hysteria as well as dropsy (build up of excessive fluids in tissues). Moreover, the plant is said to help in curing epilepsy (disorder of the brain) and seizures, and have beneficial effects when ingested during pregnancy and child birth. The skunk cabbage also comprises an important component of many familiar herbal balms and powders. When the plant parts or extracts are applied outwardly as a balm, among other things, it motivates granulations or formation of healing tissues and also provides relief from aches and soreness.

The powder of the skunk roots may be ingested individually or blended with honey. Normally, half to four ounces of honey is used for this purpose. However, using a saturated or soaked tincture prepared with fresh skunk cabbage roots is most effective.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

As mentioned earlier, the skunk cabbage plant is indigenous to the United States. Skunk cabbage likes growing in damp places.

CONSTITUENTS

Chemical analysis of the skunk cabbage has established that the plant encloses certain natural and non-volatile (fixed) oil, wax, starch, fat, volatile or unstable oil, salts of lime and minerals such as iron, manganese and silica.

COMMENTS

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