Skunk Cabbage
/ˈskʌŋk ˌkæbɪdʒ/noun
A broad-leaved wetland plant known for its strong odor and, in some species, ability to generate heat while flowering.
Did you know?Eastern skunk cabbage can produce heat through thermogenesis, sometimes keeping its flower chamber far warmer than the surrounding air and attracting early pollinators.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kaput
“Head; the reconstructed root behind later Latin words for the head or chief part.”
Classical Latin
Latin
caput
“Head; also the chief or uppermost part of something.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
capitulum
“Little head; a diminutive form that influenced later words connected with heads or sections.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
caboche
“Head or rounded head; the source of English cabbage.”
17th Century
Massachusett / English
squnck / skunk
“A skunk or an animal associated with a strong, offensive odor; the exact Indigenous source form is recorded with spelling variation.”
18th Century
English
skunk cabbage
“A common name for foul-smelling wetland plants of the genus Symplocarpus, later also applied to related plants.”