TOOTHWORT (Crinkleroot. Pepper Root) 



Dentaria laciniata Muhl. 



April The oak woods above the river are full of song. There may 



Woods be only a few titmice, two cardinals, a Carolina wren, a chick- 

 adee, and four amorous cowbirds, but so early in the season 

 they are a s])rinii- symphony to the wintor-woary ear. 



The oaks stand tall and clean. Their huds already show swelling and 

 a lighter color, but far ahead of them are the buckeye trees wliich already 

 are in leaf. Spicebush blossoms are brassy gold. Anglewing butterflies 

 gather at the running sap left from sapsucker borings on a hickory trunk. 

 Song, color, activity — this is very early spring. 



And the woods now are carpeted with flowers. Spring beauties are 

 everywhere; there are trout lilies and dutchman's breeches, bellwort, and 

 yellow and l)lue violets, red trilliums. wild blue phlox, and new. unrolling 

 ferns. And with this horde of flowers are other blossoms which blend so 

 well with the white of spring beauties as to be almost hidden among 

 them. Here they are. the toothworts^ the crinkleroots, in bloom again. 



Toothwort has the four white or ])inkish petals of the Mustard 

 family, flowers aiTanged in ai loose cluster at the top of the stem which 

 stands above the two or three deeply cut, compound leaves. Taller than 

 the spring beauties and more stiff and decisive, the toothwort is one of 

 the plants which fills a small niche in the complete picture of an Illinois 

 spring-time. 



The horizontal white rootstock down in tlie woods earth is edible 

 and pleasantly peppery to the taste, but since to eat it is to destroy the 

 plant, it should be used only for emergency rations. 



2") 



