SANICLE 



SANICLE. BLACK SNAKEROOT 



Sanlcula Maryldndica 



Name said to be from sano, to heal. 



Perennial. Borders of thickets and woodlands. New- 

 foundland to Alberta, south to Georgia and Tennessee, 

 west to Minnesota and Kansas. Common in northern 

 Ohio. May, June. 



Stems. — Rather stout, one to two feet high, topped by 

 a two to four-rayed umbel. 



Stem-leaves. — Palmately three to five-lobed or parted, 

 those from the root long-petioled; involucral leaves 

 smaller. 



Umbels. — Irregular or compound, generally few-rayed. 



Flowers. — Small, greenish yellow, mostly perfect with a 

 few staminate ones intermixed. 



Fruit. — Globular, ribless, thickly covered with hooked 

 prickles. 



Pollinated by many insects. Stigmas mature before 

 the anthers, which are imprisoned beneath the petals 

 until all danger of self-fertilization is over. Some flowers 

 are perfect, others staminate only. 



Sanicle is difficult to analyze, as all umbel-bearing 

 plants are, but can be easily identified notwithstanding. 

 It grows in rich, moist woodlands, a companion of 

 Sw^eet Cicely, blooms about the middle of May, ripen- 

 ing its fruit in July. The stem is smooth, pale green, 

 slightly grooved, and hollow, like most of the Umbellif- 

 ercB. Basal leaves are mostly five-parted, the two 



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