Skunk Cabbage

At a glance

Origin / distribution: US, US(Amerindian), German, Italian, US(Menomini), French, English, US(Meskwaki)

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Ache(Head), Asthma, Cancer, Expectorant

Science studied: CALCIUM-OXALATE, RESIN, TANNIN, N-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Araceae

Scientific name: Symplocarpus foetidus

Common names: Skunk Cabbage, Polecatweed, Stinkkohl, chou puant, eastern skunk cabbage, polecatweed, skunk cabbage, skunk-cabbage, symplocarpe chou-puant, symplocarpe fétide, tabac du diable, tabac-du-diable, zazen-sō

POWO: 1149384-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in US, US(Amerindian), German, Italian, US(Menomini), French, English, US(Meskwaki) and 2 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Ache(Head)
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Expectorant
• Hysteria
• Inhalant
• Itch
• Narcotic

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• US
• US(Amerindian)
• German
• Italian
• US(Menomini)
• French
• English
• US(Meskwaki)
• Dutch
• US(Iroquois)

Documented cultural uses

• Ache(Head)
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Expectorant
• Hysteria
• Inhalant
• Itch
• Narcotic
• Poultice
• Rheumatism
• Ringworm
• Sedative

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Ache(Head) · US · "
• Asthma · US · "
• Cancer · US(Amerindian) · "
• Expectorant · German · "
• Hysteria · US · "
• Inhalant · US · "
• Itch · US · "
• Narcotic · Italian · "
• Narcotic · US · "
• Poultice · US(Menomini) · "
• Rheumatism · US · "
• Ringworm · US · "
• Sedative · French · "
• Sialogogue · US · "
• Skin · US · "
• Spasm · English · "
• Swelling · US · "
• Ache(Tooth) · US(Meskwaki) · "
• Vermifuge · US · "
• Wound · US(Menomini) · "
• Chest · US · "
• Epilepsy · US · "
• Stimulant · US · "
• Poison · US · "

13 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Metabolomics of Thermoregulatory Transitions in the Eastern Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) · 2026 source ↗
• Floral scent of eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus: Araceae). · 2024 source ↗
• Phylogeography and Ecological Niche Modeling Reveal Reduced Genetic Diversity and Colonization Patterns of Skunk Cabbage (<i>Symplocarpus foetidus</i>; Araceae) From Glacial Refugia in Eastern North America. · 2018 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• CALCIUM-OXALATE
• RESIN
• TANNIN
• N-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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