Synonyms: Bicuculla cucullaria.
Dutchman’s Breeches is a perennial plant that occurs in much of eastern North America and parts of the Midwest. Interestingly, there is a disjunct population in the Pacific Northwest (J. Hill/MNPS).
Dutchman’s Breeches grows from short, bulblet-bearing rhizomes. It is closely related, and similar in appearance, to Squirrel Corn. The flowers of both species have two pairs of petals. The outer pair form nectar spurs, which are long and spreading in Dutchman’s Breeches, giving the flower a pantaloon-like look (and are more rounded and heart-shaped in Squirrel Corn). In both species, the two inner petals, which are much smaller than the outer ones, form the base of the flower. The leaves can be difficult to tell apart unless seen side by side: Both are compound, with finely divided leaflets, somewhat resembling a fern. Squirrel Corn leaves often have a more bluish tinge than Dutchman’s leaves.
Dutchman’s Breeches is a spring ephemeral of rich floodplain and cove forests in our region.
The flowers of Dutchman’s Breeches (and Squirrel Corn) are pollinated mainly by early bees that have tongues long enough to reach into the spurs for nectar.
The seeds of both species are distributed by ants, which are attracted to fleshy or oily seed appendages called elaiosomes. Ants carry the seeds to their nests and eat the elaiosomes, leaving the seeds intact.
The foliage of both plants is toxic to herbivorous mammals, such as deer, and is infrequently eaten by them (J. Hill/MNPS). This may partly explain why Dutchman’s Breeches and Squirrel Corn can remain abundant in places where some other herbs have become uncommon due to deer browse.
There are 487 records in the project database.
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