ARIS/EMA TRIPHYLLUM. THREE-LEAVED INDIAN TURNIP. 151 



The different colors of the spadlces — some Hght and some 

 dark, though most frequently yellow — are much sought after in 

 the English species by young plant-collectors in the early Eng- 

 lish spring under the names of " Lords and Ladies," the handsful 

 of the dark ones being the Lords, while the lighter ones are the 

 Ladies. They were also in the olden times called " Wake Robin 

 and Cuckoo-points," these names not having any English mean- 

 ing as one might suppose, but being corruptions of very old 

 French names, unless indeed there may have been some con- 

 nection with the flowering of the Ai^um, and the first visits in 

 spring of the cuckoo, a migratory bird. This seems to have 

 been the idea in Shakespeare's mind, who, in " Love's Labor 

 Lost," makes the showman sing in the character of Ver, 



" When daisies pied, and violets blue. 

 And Lady-smocks all silver white, 

 And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue, 



Do paint the meadows with delight, 

 The cuckoo then," • 



Some have indeed thought that Shakespeare may have meant 

 the yellow butter-cups in this passage, because of the specified 

 yellow, but the prevailing association seems to be with the Eng- 

 lish Arum. Clare, a well-known English poet, says : 



" How sweet it used to be when April first 

 Unclosed the Arum leaves, and into view 

 Its ear-like flowers their cases burst, 

 Betinged with yellowish white or lushy hue." 



The old English names are now nearly obsolete. For our 

 plant in our country the most common popular names are " Jack- 

 in-the-pulpit," " Preacher-in-the pulpit," and " Indian Turnip." 



The last name is derived from the use of the roots as food by 

 the Indians. When raw, every part of the plant is extremely 

 acrid, and will blister the mouth or tongue when applied to 

 either of them ; but, when roasted or boiled, all of this acridity dis- 

 appears, and the roots particularly are extremely nutritious. 

 Green says in his " Botanical Dictionary," published in the early 



