Symplocarpus foetidus, commonly known as skunk cabbage or eastern skunk cabbage (also swamp cabbage, clumpfoot cabbage, or meadow cabbage, foetid pothos or polecat weed), is a low growing plant that grows in wetlands and moist hill slopes of eastern North America. Bruised leaves present an odor reminiscent of skunk. Symplocarpus combines the Greek word symploce, meaning "connection" and carpos, meaning "fruit", to indicate that the plant has a compound fruit. The genus name Symplocarpus combines two Greek words: Symplo- is derived from [συμπλoκή], meaning connection, -carpus is derived from [καρπòς], meaning fruit. Linnaeus gave the plant its species name of foetidus, Latin for "bad-smelling". The plant produces a strong odor, which is repulsive to many but sometimes described as smelling like "fresh cabbage with a slight suggestion of mustard". The odor increases in intensity over time, as the plant matures, likely due to increased ripeness in the plant's stamens. Description The plant grows from a thick rhizome, typically measuring 30 cm (1 ft). It has leaves that are large, each long and wide. Blooming early in the spring, just its blossoms can be seen above the mud. Particularly towards the top or older end of older roots, these marks or wrinkles have an odd ring-like appearance. The plant is generally pulled back into the earth as it develops every year. The roots permanently wrinkle up due to their contractile activity. As time elapses the entire stem is buried below ground and the plant becomes practically impossible to dig up. The spathe, which is 10-15 cm (4-6 in) tall and come in a variety of colours, contain a spadix that is 5-10 cm (2-4 in) long in which the flowers reside. While older spathes develop a darker general color with purple smears, younger spathes have a yellowish-green color. Due to thermogenic properties, spathes can melt the surrounding ice in a circle around the spathe. The spathes are generally 10–15 cm tall, are hood-like or shell-like in shape. Their mottling closely mimics the fluttering lights and hues frequently observed on underbrush as the sun passes through the leaves of the trees above. On the forest floor, this usually makes it difficult to observe them. Eastern skunk cabbage flower have both male and female reproductive organs. Dichogamy, or the division of gender expression into two temporal periods, is a common feature of blooming plants and serves to avoid self-fertilization. Because the flowers are