COMMON CANADIAN WILD PLANTS. 



ORDER V. BERBERIDA'CE^E. (BARBERRY FAMILY.) 

 Herbs (or shrubs), with alternate, petiolate, divided leaves. 

 Sepals and petals in fours, sixes, or eights (except in tin; ^i-nu.s 

 Podophyllum), with the petals in front of the sepals. Stamens 

 (except in Podophyllum) as many as the petals, one before each. 

 Anthers usually opening by a valve at the top. Fruit berry -like, 



or a pod. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



* Petals and stamens 6. 



1. Caulophyllum. A purplish herb, flowering in early spring. Petals 



thick, much shorter than the sepals. 



* * Petals 6-9. Stamens 8-18. 



2. Podophyllum. Petals 6-9. Stamens 12-18. Anthers not opening by 



uplifting valves. Fruit a large berry. 



3. Jeffersonia. Petals and stamens mostly 8. Anthers opening by uplifting 



valves. Pod opening by a lid. 



1. CAULOPHYL'LUM, Michx. BLUE COHOSH. 

 C. thalictroi'des, Michx. (BLUE COHOSH.) Plant 1-2 feet 

 high, very glaucous and dull purple when young. Flowers 

 yellowish-green, in a terminal small raceme, appearing in spring 

 before the decompound leaves are developed. Sepals 6, with 3 

 little bractlets at their base. Petals 6, thick and somewhat 

 kidney-shaped, much smaller than the sepals. Stamens 6, one 

 before each petal. Ovary bursting soon after the flowering, and 

 leaving the two drupe-like seeds naked on their rather thick 

 stalks. Fruit bluish, of an inch across. Rich woods. 



3. PODOPHYI/LUM, L. MAY-APPLE. MANDRAKE. 

 P. peltatum, L. Stem about 1 foot high. Flowerless stems 

 with one large 7-9 lobed umbrella-like leaf, peltate in the centre ; 

 the flowering ones with two leaves, peltate near the edge, the 

 flower nodding from the fork. Sepals 6, caducous. Petals 6-9, 

 large and white. Stamens 12-18. Fruit large, oval, yellowish, 

 not poisonous. Found in patches in rich woods. The leaves 

 and roots are poisonous. 



3. JEFFERSONIA, Barton. TWIN-LEAF. 

 J. diphylla, Pers. A low plant, flowering in early spring ; 

 the solitary white flowers on naked scapes. Sepals 4, fugacious. 



