235 



MAY-APPLE. 



(Podophyllum peltatum L.} 



"The blushing 1 peach and glossy plum there lies, 

 And with the mandrake tempt your hands and eyes." 



Quoted in Tuckerman's America, p. 33. 



The may-apple is a small perennial herb the rhizomes, stems and leaves have a 



with long root-stocks or underground very decided heavy, nauseous odor, and it 



stems (rhizomes), a native of the United is not unreasonable to assume that this 



States and Canada, growing in rather odor is traceable in flower and unripe 



moist woodlands. The rhizomes attain fruit. 



a length of about twelve feet; they are The flowers expand in May and the 

 sparingly branched with comparatively fruit ripens in August. The fruit is a 

 few roots at the nodes. Upon closer in- berry about the size of a plum. At first 

 spection one may notice the leaf scars and green, it changes to a soft yellow at ma- 

 stem scars. Early in the spring the bud turity. It is not unlike a tomato in gen- 

 situated at the anterior end of the root- eral appearance. When fully ripe it has a 

 stock or rhizome, develops and sends up fragrant odor and tastes somewhat like 

 a stem upon which the leaves and flow r er the paw-paw (Asimina triloba). 

 are situated. The entire plant attains a Podophyllum peltatum is variously 

 height of about twelve inches. The leaves known as may-apple, Indian) apple, hog 

 are large, peltate (from pelta, a small apple, wild lemon and raccoon berry in 

 shield), margin deeply from five to nine reference to the fruit; duck's foot (Ger- 

 lobed. lobes pendant thus giving the leaf man, Entenfuss) in reference to the form 

 a semblance to an umbrella. It is re- of the leaf; wild jalap in reference to its 

 markable that the flowerless plants have medicinal properties, which are similar 

 only one leaf, while the flowering speci- to that of jalap. The generic name Podo- 

 mens always have two, which are oppo- phyllum, meaning foot-leaf, is given in 

 site upon the stem apex, carrying the reference to the leaf. The plant is also 

 flower in the bifurcation as shown in the quite generally known as mandrake or 

 illustration. American mandrake, but the mandrake 



Each plant bears a single flower up- proper, so frequently referred to in the 

 on a drooping stalk. The calyx consists books of Moses and in the works of 

 of six greenish sepals, which, however, Shakespeare, is not the may-apple but 

 drop off as soon as the flower begins to Mandragara officinalis L. of the night- 

 unfold. The corolla consists of six or shade family (Solanaceae), a native of 

 nine petals, which are quite large, thick southern Europe. Earlier collectors sup- 

 and pulpy, and of a creamy white color, posed the two plants to be similar if not 

 Authorities seem to differ as to the odor identical. There is only one other spe- 

 of the flower. Some speak of it as very cies of Podophyllum which is a native of 

 fragrant ; others designate it as nauseous Europe. 



and others express no opinion. Mills- Apart from its beauty the may-apple 

 paugh, in his "Medicinal Plants," says, is highly valued for its fruit, which is con- 

 "The odor of the flowers is nauseous ; I sidered a delicacy by the American In- 

 am always forcibly reminded of a bad dians. Whites apparently do not care 

 case of ozaena when inhaling their per- much for the fruit, though it is occasion- 

 fume (?)." It is an undoubted fact that ally collected and eaten. The taste of the 



