Arum maculatum - Cuckoo Pint

Family:	Araceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.45
Synonyms:
Range:	Most of Europe, south and east of Sweden, including Britain, south to N. Africa.

Arum maculatum (Cuckoo Pint) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.45m . It has a hardness rating of 6and is vunerable to frost.
Cuckoo Pint will flower in October to November. the seeds ripen from January to February
The flowers from this plant are monoecious (both sexes are found on the plant but each flower is either male or female) and they are pollinated by Flies

Soil Information

Cuckoo Pint will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Cuckoo Pint prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Cuckoo Pint can grow in full, semi shaded areas and areas with no shade.

Hedgerows, woodlands, copses etc, especially on base-rich substrata[9, 17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge
• Is suited to a deeply shaded location

Cultivation Details

Prefers a humus rich soil and abundant water in the growing season[1, 13]. Prefers a shady damp calcareous soil[13, 31]. Succeeds in sun or shade[90]. Plants are very shade tolerant[17] and grow well in woodland conditions[1]. The inflorescence has the remarkable ability to heat itself above the ambient air temperature to such a degree that it is quite noticeable to the touch[4]. Temperature rises of 11°c have been recorded[245]. At the same time, the flowers emit a foul and urinous smell in order to attract midges for pollination[245]. The smell disappears once the flower has been pollinated[245]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Tuber - cooked and used as a vegetable[2, 177]. A mild flavour, the root contains about 25% starch[74]. A farina can be extracted from the root[2]. Roots can be harvested at any time of the year, though they are best when the plant is dormant[K]. At one time, the tubers of this plant were commonly harvested and used for food, but they are very rarely used nowadays[268, K]. The root must be thoroughly dried or cooked before being eaten, see the notes above on toxicity. Leaves - must be well cooked[177]. Available from late winter. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

• Leaves -
• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
Cuckoo pint has been little used in herbal medicine and is generally not recommended for internal use[268]. The shape of the flowering spadix has a distinct sexual symbolism and the plant did have a reputation as an aphrodisiac, though there is no evidence to support this[268]. The root is diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, strongly purgative and vermifuge[4, 9, 19, 21]. It should be harvested in the autumn or before the leaves are produced in the spring[4]. It can be stored fresh in a cellar in sand for up to a year or can be dried for later use[4]. The plant should be used with caution[9], see notes above on toxicity. The bruised fresh plant has been applied externally in the treatment of rheumatic pain[268]. A liquid from the boiled bark (of the stem?[K]) has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea[213]. A homeopathic remedy is prepared from the root and leaves[4]. It has been used in the treatment of sore throats[4, 268].

• Antirheumatic - Treats rheumatism.
• Diaphoretic - Induces perspiration.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Expectorant - Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
• Homeopathy - A plant used in homeopathic treatments.
• Purgative - A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.
• Vermifuge - Expels and kills internal parasites.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse or cold frame as soon as it is ripe[134]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 6 months at 15°c[134]. Stored seed should be sown in the spring in a greenhouse and can be slow to germinate, sometimes taking a year or more. A period of cold stratification might help to speed up the process. Sow the seed thinly, and allow the seedlings to grow on without disturbance for their first year, giving occasional liquid feeds to ensure that they do not become mineral deficient. When the plants are dormant in the autumn, divide up the small corms, planting 2 - 3 in each pot, and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for a further year, planting out when dormant in the autumn. Division of the corms in summer after flowering[200]. Larger corms can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up the smaller corms and grow them on for a year in a cold frame before planting them out.

Known Hazards

The plant contains calcium oxylate crystals. These cause an extremely unpleasant sensation similar to needles being stuck into the mouth and tongue if they are eaten, but they are easily neutralized by thoroughly drying or cooking the plant or by steeping it in water[65].

Other Uses

Starch from the root has been used as a laundry starch for stiffening clothes[4, 66, 100]. Its use is said to be very harsh on the skin, producing sores and blisters on the hands of the laundresses who have to use it[66, 100], though another report says that the powdered root makes a good and innocent cosmetic that can be used to remove freckles[4].

• Starch - Used as a fabric stiffener.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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