They almost look good enough to eat - which would be a big mistake. Poisonous cuckoo pint fruits ripening. The birds must eat them though, because from one original plant there are now cuckoo pints all over our garden.
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Your Cuckoo plant looked so much like our Jack-in-the pulpit that I just had to look it up. They are close while yours is Arum maculatum, ours is Arisaema triphyllum. both are monocots (whatever that means) It is when they go to seed that they look the same. Thanks for the new information. Here is a link to my jack-in-the-pulpit: http://beyondmygarden.blogspot.com/2010/08/afternoon-in-august.html
ReplyDeletenellie
I've seen a lot more this year than previously, would that be to do with the weather?
ReplyDeleteAmazes me Phil how birds can manage to eat a lot of things that are poisonous to us without seemingly adverse effects.
ReplyDelete...... and they can also sit on electric cables, which we can't do. :O) Why is that?!
ReplyDeleteHi Phil, I much enjoyed you Living World programme this morning. Lots of fascinating information, thanks. Emma
ReplyDeleteHello Nellie, Our cuckoo pint is called jack-in-the-pulpit in some parts of Britain - over here the plant has over 100 documented regional names!
ReplyDeleteDon't know whether it's related to the weather now toffeeapple, but it might be because there were good conditions for pollination back in spring when it flowered - the plant is pollinated by tiny midges - there are some pictures here http://beyondthehumaneye.blogspot.com/search/label/Arum%20maculatum
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Keith - pleasants can eat deadly nightshade with impunity....
ReplyDeleteHi Lesley, as long as they're not earthed or touch two cables at once they are OK Lesley.....
ReplyDeleteThanks Emma, I didn;t know it was going to be on but missed it - will have to catch up with it on iPlayer..
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link Phil. I, too, heard you on the radio the other day. Does the BBC not let you know when things are going to be on?
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