THE HERB PARIS 257 



knotty. It bears several large leaves, not very unlike 

 those of the May Lily in shape, but stalkless and 

 attached directly to the axis, which they clasp by 

 their bases. The flowers arise singly or in pairs, in 

 the axil of each leaf, and are mounted on long stalks. 

 The most curious point about this plant is that 

 the flower-stalk is united with the portion of the 

 axis between the leaf in whose axil it arises, and 

 the next leaf above it. The free portion of the 

 flower-stalk lies below the upper leaf, and is bent at 

 right angles, so that the flower hangs downwards. 



THE HERB PARIS. 



Another forest shade plant, belonging to the same 

 section of the Lily family as the May Lily, is the 

 Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia, Linn.). This species 

 is one of the most curious and unmistakable plants 

 in the Alps, as regards its build or habit. The 

 white, underground rhizome sends up each year a 

 flowering shoot, about a foot high, which ends in a 

 single flower. A few inches below the flower are 

 four, very large, egg-shaped, net-veined leaves, arranged 

 in the form of a cross, and attached directly to the 

 axis. The parts of the flower are also arranged in 

 fours, and not in whorls of three, as in typical 

 Liliaceous flowers. Further, the outer and inner 

 whorls of the perianth are dissimilar. The four outer 

 perianth members are much broader than the four 

 narrow, inner members, and both are yellowish-green 

 in colour. There are also eight stamens. 



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