skunk cabbage
Definition of skunk cabbage
: any of several early-blooming perennial herbs of the arum family that occur in shaded, wet to swampy areas and have a fetid odor suggestive of a skunk:a : one (Symplocarpus foetidus) of eastern North America and eastern Asia that has a hoodlike, brownish-purple spatheb : one (Lysichiton americanus synonym L. americanum) chiefly of the Pacific coast region of North America that has a large yellow spathec : one (Lysichiton camtschatcensis synonym L. camtschatcense) of eastern Asia that has a large white spathe
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Illustration of skunk cabbage
First Known Use of skunk cabbage
1751
SKUNK CABBAGE Defined for English Language Learners
skunk cabbage
Definition of skunk cabbage for English Language Learners
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: a North American plant that grows in wet, shady areas and that produces a strong odor
Learn More about skunk cabbage
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about skunk cabbage
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