Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 59 



INDIAN CUCUMBER-ROOT (Medeola virginiana) 

 is a common woodland plant, but the flowers are so 

 inconspicuous that they are often overlooked; in fact 

 they are often nodding below the upper leaves so as 

 to be invisible. The stem is tall and slender, rang- 

 ing from 1 to 3 feet in height; it rises from a thick 

 horizontal rootstalk, having a taste similar to that of 

 the cucumber. A whorl of from five to nine ovate- 

 lanceolate, pointed leaves is located midway on the 

 stem; at the top, three smaller but similarly shaped 

 leaves radiate. Above these, or it may be below, be- 

 cause of the curving pedicels, are three flowers. They 

 are pale greenish-yellow; the three sepals and three 

 petals composing the perianth are very much reflexed 

 or curled; they have six stamens each, and one style 

 dividing into three purplish-brown, recurved stigmas. 



It is said that the Indians formerly used the roots 

 for food; at the present time they are used for var- 

 ious medicinal preparations, Cucumber-root is found 

 from N. B. to Manitoba and southwards to the Gulf, 

 flowering in rich woods during May and June. 



COLIC-ROOT; STAR GRASS (Aletris farinosa) is 

 a tall, wand-like plant, striking in appearance even 

 though not beautiful in flower. The scape is from 

 2 to 3 feet high, terminated with a small spike-like 

 raceme of white, tubular flowers. The perianth is 6- 

 lobed, very granular and roughened on the outside by 

 thickly set points. It is this granular appearance, as 

 though the flower had been sprinkled with white 

 meal, that gives it its generic name, meaning ''a fe- 

 male slave who grinds corn". The leaves are thin, 

 flat and lanceolate, radiating from the rootstalk at the 

 base of the flower scape. It is commonly found from 

 Me. to Minn, and southwards, flowering in July and 

 August. 



