248 



NATURE STUDY 



tis*^ 



base of the rather thick spike called spadix. The 

 term " spathe " is applied to the envelope. Of course, 

 the spadix is the Jack who preaches from the spathe 

 pulpit. 



Some of the Jacks are green, striped with darker lines 

 of the same color ; others are striped with purple. In 

 England, the latter are called the lords, and the lighter 

 ones, the ladies. As a general rule, however, the lords 

 are ladies, botanically speaking, since they commonly 

 contain the pistillate flowers. 

 Sometimes Jacks will be 

 found on whose spadix are 

 both staminate and pistillate 

 flowers, in which case those 

 containing stamens only are 

 above those with the pistils. 



The part of the Jack-in-the- 

 pulpit underground is thick 

 and fleshy, very acrid in taste, 

 and supposed to be poisonous. 

 Long boiling makes it eatable. 

 Hence it is often called Indian 

 turnip. 



Shepherd's Purse (Capsella 

 Bursa-pastoris) : 



This belongs to the Mustard 



Shepherd's Purse. family, whosc members are 



recognized almost at a glance, 



since their corolla forms a Greek cross, and, of their six 



stamens four are long and two short. 



The curious seed pods furnish the reason for both the 

 botanical and the common name. 



