What is this flower?

[chris]

OK, not an allotment question, but I saw lots of these in Scotland last week, and thought they were orchids, but a search on t'internet for pictures of orchids does not help identify it. I posted the same picture in OT gallery with a caption saying it was an orchid, but now I'm not so sure.

[Adrian]

That looks like an orchid to me, with the ornately evolved petal and central column, but as to which type out of many thousands I have no idea.

[TimC]

Looks like an Arum to me, possibly Arum Maculatum (Cuckoo Pint).

[rogerzilla]

That's what I thought, although they're yellower than normal.  Very poisonous.

[chris]

Found it (I think). It's a Lysichiton americanum aka Skunk Cabbage.

http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/html/P4085915.html

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Skunk_Cabbage

[Treewheeler]

Passed many today in cool wet valley near Liphook.
Argued with Mr Uberpants over what they were...
 I think they naturalise very well and don't appear to have any negative invasive qualities.
 Rather jolly in a marshy environment...

[Adrian]

Well that shows the limit of my botanical knowledge.