Skunk cabbage

Skunk cabbage, either of two plant species (Symplocarpus foetidus or Lysichitum americanum), of temperate regions named for the foul smell that comes from the plant when the tissues are squeezed. Apart from the smell, the skunk cabbage is a welcome addition to the damp woods and fields of the eastern United States for its purple and green arum-type flower, which appears in late winter. The leaves appear after the flowers have died. A third species, Veratrum californicum, also called false hellebore or corn lily, grows in western North and Central America and is poisonous.