Jack-in-the-Pulpit-in-Sepia

The following post is a Reprint from my March/April 2006 "Our Wild State" column in the South Carolina Magazine. This is one of the first plants that I've included in my sepia series and I'm really pleased with the way the image turned out. I can't help but be reminded of a cobra's hood when I look at the angle of the plant's spathe.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) Profile

Rising up from the damp forest floor, a strange “alien-like” plant has begun to unfurl itself in forests all across S.C. This botanical wonder redefines the imagine that most people have in mind when the word flower is mentioned: its smell isn’t sweet but fetid like carrion; its blooms are so tiny that they can barely be seen by the naked eye; and it is pollinated by flies instead of butterflies and birds. However, despite the aforementioned anomalies this “objet de nature” is a glorious plant worth seeking out and studying at ground level.

The Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a member of the Arum family of plants. While this name may not be familiar, most gardeners might be more familiar with its better known cousin the calla lily. Found throughout the world, Arums typically feature a flamboyant hood-like structure called a spathe—in this case the “pulpit” —which surrounds a pale spike called a spadix—our “Jack.” As with most Arums, Jack-in-the-pulpits can be male or female depending on its growing conditions and produces beautiful red berries at the end of its annual cycle.

Like many plants found throughout our state, the Jack-in-the-pulpit (nicknamed the “Indian Turnip”) was used as a food source by the Native Americans. However, it can cause severe stomach problems if ingested without being cooked first and will leave a lingering burning sensation in the mouth and throat. This plant should be considered poisonous unless properly prepared and is best to be enjoyed as a feast for the eyes.

The ideal time to look for the bloom of this unique plant is between April and June. Search areas where the moisture content is high such as stream banks and wet hardwood forests. There are several color variations within this species so be on the lookout for plants which range from a pale green to green with purple streaks. Because of this spectrum of appearances and other minute differences some scientists believe that this species should be divided into three sub-species. By autumn, the spathe (or hood) will likely be absent making discovery and identification much more difficult.

Museum Award and Workshop

Last Saturday was an eventful day. At 8:00 a.m. I conducted a workshop at Table Rock State Park which focused on the "Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge." We were fortunate to have really beautiful weather and instead of arriving at the site to the sound of thunder I was greeted with the songs of wood thrushes and black-throated green warblers. I was honored to have photographer and all-around nice guy, Ben Keys in my workshop and he certainly added a lot with his years of experience. The wildflowers around our meeting spot at the hemlock shelter were really showy and I anticipated many more on the trail. However, I brought the group to a spot on the Carrick Creek Trail that was covered with bell-flowers a few days before but turned out to be pretty much barren on Saturday. Fortunately, the group was very happy to photograph other general macro shots to finish out the class. I'm looking foward to my next workshop on June 28 entitled "The Impressionistic Landscape" which will be modeled after the work of such greats as Freeman Patterson, William Neill and Claude Monet.

On Saturday evening I went to the opening of the 29th annual Pickens Co. Museum of Art Juried Show (Press Release) which was jurored by Savannah College of Art and Design Professor, Josh Yu. I was honored to receive a purchase award for my print of a Green Salamander and have it accepted into the gallery's permanent collection. This is a huge honor for me and I must say that it feels really good to see the positive reaction to the sepia series (see post "Serendipity") that I'm currently working on. This is an image that I shot as a color RAW file but converted into sepia to emphasize the ancient lineage of the species. It was quite a day for certain.

An Excellent Surprise

I spent Saturday a.m. working on wildflower images and testing out some of the techniques that I will be using at my "Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge" workshop which is being held on April 26th at Table Rock State park. I arrived fairly early and had a lot of fun trying out different compositions that might work for my sepia series (see owl on post 'Serendipity). After a period of rain I packed up and left for some shooting at home.

My first good discovery at home was a very large "slimy salamander" (Plethodon glutinosus) which wasn't very interested in having its photo made! So, after a couple of poor attempts I let it return to log that I found it hiding beneath. However, the most exciting discovery was just a couple of feet a way. After I rolled the log back over, I looked up just in time to see a large bird spring from the ground and quickly fly a few feet away only to suddenly disappear in the leaf litter. I knew right away that it was some type of night-jar. I hoped that it was a Chuck-will's widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis) –which I had been dreaming of photographing since moving into our place two years ago– but I couldn't say for certain. I quickly threw on the 300mm lens and 2x teleconverter which were in my bag and slowly moved forward hoping to have a chance at photographing the elusive bird. However, just as I got close to spot it suddenly sprang up again and moved about 10 more feet away. This time, I saw exactly where it landed and was able to make a few nice shots before it moved into some undergrowth. I was also able to confirm its identity as a Chuck-Will's Widow. I cannot tell you how excited I am to have finally made an image of this species. It may not be the most dynamic photograph in my file but it will certainly be one of the most memorable ones for me. What a day!

Clay