2016-3-1 UPDATE

Skunk Cabbage

Melts through the snow and controls its pollination

This plant is particularly famous for generating heat when it blossoms. Blossoming can occur as early as late January when the snow is still deep, so it generates heat in order to melt through the snow and make its way to the surface. The cells that generate heat in the eastern skunk cabbage have a thermostat-like sensor that maintains a constant heat output. [5’40″/Subtitles: Japanese, English]