66 



BERBERIDACEAE (BARBERRY FAMILY) 



and in a globular mass. Carpels few, ripening into 14 large 

 thick-cylindrical, pulpy fruits. Seeds several, flat. 



A. triloba, PAPAW. Leaves thin, obovate-lanceolate, pointed. The 

 petals round-ovate. Tree 3-12 cm. high. The flowers appear with the 

 leaves. The fruits are 7-13 cm. long, green, 

 turning brown, the pulp being sweet and edible 

 in autumn. Banks of streams and rich soil. 

 April-May. 



BERBERIDACEAE (BARBERRY FAMILY) 



Shrubs or herbs. Leaves alternate. Fruit 

 a berry or a pod. 



PODOPHYLLUM 



Asimina triloba. Papaw. 



Perennial herbs, with creeping root-stalks 



and thick, fibrous roots. Sepals 6, falling early. Petals 6 or 9, 

 obovate, white. Stamens twice as many as the petals. Ovary 

 ovoid, with a large sessile stigma. Fruit a large, fleshy berry. 

 Stems 2-leaved and i-flowered. (Name from pous, foot, and 

 phullon, leaf, probably referring to the thick petioles.) 



P. peltatum, MAY APPLE. The 

 flowerless stems are terminated by a 

 large round 7-9 lobed leaf, umbrella- 

 like. The flowering stems bear 2 one- 

 sided leaves and a nodding white 

 flower at the fork. Flowers in May 

 and ripens fruit in July. The fruit 

 is edible. Common in rich 

 woods. 



CAULOPHYLLUM 



Podophyllum peltatum, May apple. 



A perennial glabrous herb 

 with knotty rootstalks. It 

 sends up in early spring a 



simple and naked stem which is terminated by a small inflorescence 

 of yellowish-green flowers and bears a little below the inflo- 

 rescence a large compound sessile leaf. Sepals 6, with 3 or 4 



