a substitute for arrowroot. It can be highly toxic if not prepared correctly. The leaves, which are toxic, can be mistaken for edible sorrel. Arum maculatum is also used to make soup in the Andırın region of Turkey where the leaves are leavened with yogurt and boiled for long hours which eliminates toxicity. This process results in a sour soup which is called Tirşik. Cultivated Arum maculatum is cultivated as an ornamental plant in traditional and woodland shade gardens. The cluster of bright red berries standing alone without foliage can be a striking landscape accent. The mottled and variegated leaf patterns can add bright interest in darker habitats. Arum maculatum may hybridize with Arum italicum. Laundry starch The roots were a traditional source of starch for stiffening clothes. In 1440, the nuns of Syon Abbey in England used the roots of the cuckoo-pint flower to make starch for church linens; only starch "made of herbes" could be used for communion linen. References External links Nature's Secret Larder maculatum Medicinal plants of Europe Garden plants of Europe Flora of Europe Poisonous plants Plant toxins Neurotoxins Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus