98 CAUI.OI»H¥IrI.XrM- No- 1?- 



— L 



fibres — Stem upright, straight, smooth, trifurcate at 

 the top or dividing into three leaves, in the centre of 

 which comes out the panicle of flowers — Leaves pe* 

 tiolate smooth, pinnate lobed, with Qiree, very sel- 

 dom five folioles, the lateral ones nearly sessile, oval 

 or oblong, inequally bifid and acute: the terminal fo- 

 liole separated, larger, aubcordate, with five, seldom 

 three, unequal lobes or segments, oval and acute. 



Flowers in a short central loose corymb, yellowish 

 green, rather small ; rachis slender, dichotome, with 

 minute bracts at each division. Each flower pedun- 

 cled, with six equal elliptic obtuse sepals — Petals six 

 very small, opposite and notched, with each an op- 

 p:;site longer stamen, filaments short, anthers elliptic 

 bilocular, opening on each side^Germ globular, 

 style short, stigma obtuse — Drupes resembling ber- 

 ries succeed the blossoms; they are smooth of a dark 

 felue, globular, rather large, with only one hard seed. 



HISTORY— This genus w^hich includes only one 

 species, was united to Leontice by Linnseus ; but se- 

 parated by Michaux; they both belong to the natural 

 family of Bekberides, and to IIexajvdria monogy- 

 nia. CaulophyUum implies that the stem and leaves 

 are connected as it were, and the specific name alludes 

 to the leaves being similar to many Thalictrums — Co- 

 hosh was the indigenous name of this plant, and a 

 better one than Blueberry, the usual one in many 

 part?: it blossoms in IMay and June, while the leaves 

 are yet tender and small, the berries are ripe in sum- 

 mer ; they are dry, sweetish, insipid, similar io 

 huckle berries^ but larger. 



