402 EDIBLE WILD PLANTS 



around top of berry, watery, sweetish, not unpleasant, few seed ; 

 in large bunches or flat- topped clusters on tall fruit stalk. 

 Food value slight. 



Widely distributed and fairly abundant. 



34" Aralia raceniosa L. American Spikenard. 



Herbaceous, much -branched, from 3 to 6 ft. high, in rich 

 intervale soil. Leaves compounded of 3 or 5 leaflets, each 

 roundish, heart-shaped at the base, pointed at the apex, 2 to 

 6 in. long, and sharply and finely toothed on the margins. 

 Flowers in clusters, made up of numerous umbels, each floret 

 small and greenish. The fruit, when ripe, consists of compound 

 clusters of beautiful reddish-brown or purplish berries with a 

 pleasant taste and peculiar aromatic flavor characteristic of the 

 plant and its large rootstalk, which is used for flavoring home- 

 made beer in some places. Not common. 



35. Smilacina bifolia Ker. Two-leaved Solomon's Seal, locally 



" Cowslip." 



Leaves and fruit on one stem, 3 in. to 5 in. high, roots creep- 

 ing. Leaves, 2 in number, 2 in. long, 1 in. wide, heart-shaped, 

 pointed, longitudinally ribbed, base almost clasping stem, some- 

 what downy. Berries red, round, to in. thick, with 1 or two 

 large seeds, very juicy, taste resembles somewhat the imported 

 liquorice, with vinegar added. In bunches of 5 to 12 on each 

 stem, on very short fruit stalks. Food value slight. 



In damp or moderately dry deep soil in shady or partly 

 open woods. Generally distributed, and in some places abun- 

 dant. 



36. Taxus baccata L. Var. Canadensis Marsh. American Yew^ 



Ground Hemlock. 



Stems 2 in. to 6 in. long, reclining and often thickl}^ tangled, 

 evergreen ; bark and foliage resembles the large hemlock, except 

 that the needles are larger. Berries round, the size of a large 



