CRUCIFERAE MUSTARD FAMILY 
TOOTHWORT. PEPPER ROOT 
Dentaria laciniata Muhl. 
The Toothwort, sometimes called Pepper Root, grows in 
rich moist woods and blooms in April and early May, thus taking 
advantage of the sun that reaches the then unshaded forest floor. 
It is found from Que- 
bec to Minnesota, 
south to Florida and 
Louisiana, and 1s 
common throughout 
Illinois. 
The plant is per- 
ennial by — under- 
ground stems which 
are rather deep in 
the soil and are di- 
vided into tuberlike 
joints that are readily 
separable. These 
tubers are edible, 
having a pleasant 
peppery taste com- 
parable to the Radish 
or Cress, and have 
furnished a delightful 
addition to many a lunch on a springtime hike. The stem, grow- 
ing 8-15 inches high, is usually hairy, at least towards the upper 
end, but it may be entirely smooth. 
There are ordinarily 3 leaves, two of which are shown, 
arranged in a whorl on the stem. They are 3-parted nearly to 
the base, the divisions lanceolate, linear or oblong, deeply cut 
toothed or lobed, and the lateral ones often deeply 2-cleft. 
Usually there are no other leaves at flowering time but later 
some basal leaves, similar but with longer petioles, may be 
produced to carry the work of food manufacture well into the 
summer. 
The flowers have the structure characteristic of the family 
and are white or in some cases tinged with pink or purple. 
The fruit is a linear, ascending pod 1-1 % inches long and con- 
taining 1 row of seeds in each half. 
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