▁followed ▁in ▁late ▁spring ▁by ▁the ▁flowers ▁bor ne ▁on ▁a ▁pok er - sh aped ▁infl ores c ence ▁called ▁a ▁sp ad ix , ▁which ▁is ▁partially ▁en closed ▁in ▁a ▁pale ▁green ▁sp at he ▁or ▁leaf - like ▁h ood , ▁often ▁with ▁pur ple ▁spot ting . ▁The ▁interior ▁of ▁the ▁sp at he ▁can ▁be ▁green ish ▁or ▁a ▁d ull ▁pur ple ▁to ▁brown ish ▁color . ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁hidden ▁from ▁sight , ▁cluster ed ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁sp ad ix ▁with ▁a ▁ring ▁of ▁female ▁flowers ▁at ▁the ▁bottom ▁and ▁a ▁ring ▁of ▁male ▁flowers ▁above ▁them . ▁A bove ▁the ▁male ▁flowers ▁is ▁a ▁ring ▁of ▁hair s ▁forming ▁an ▁insect ▁trap . ▁In sect s ▁are ▁attract ed ▁to ▁the ▁sp ad ix ▁by ▁its ▁fa ec al ▁od our ▁and ▁a ▁temperature ▁war mer ▁than ▁the ▁ambient ▁temperature . ▁The ▁insect s ▁are ▁tra pped ▁beneath ▁the ▁ring ▁of ▁hair s ▁and ▁are ▁d usted ▁with ▁pol len ▁by ▁the ▁male ▁flowers ▁before ▁esc aping ▁and ▁carrying ▁the ▁pol len ▁to ▁the ▁sp ad ices ▁of ▁other ▁plants , ▁where ▁they ▁pol lin ate ▁the ▁female ▁flowers . ▁The ▁sp ad ix ▁is ▁mid - ▁to ▁pale ▁pur ple . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁spring ▁and ▁early ▁summer , ▁the ▁lower ▁ring ▁of ▁( f em ale ) ▁flowers ▁forms ▁a ▁cluster ▁of ▁bright ▁red ▁ber ries ▁which ▁remain ▁after ▁the ▁sp at he ▁and ▁other ▁leaves ▁have ▁with ered