BOTANY OF THE PLANT. 



9 



die of September, when it reaches full maturity. The 

 berries, which are edible, have the taste of the root, and 

 are about the size of small wax beans (Fig. 5). They 

 contain from one to three seeds, usually two. Seeds are 

 produced by plants three years old and upward, though 





FIG. 5. FKUIT CLUSTER ON PLANT. 



a, Berry; b, seed, natural size. 



occasionally an unusually strong plant may produce 

 seed the second year. In the cultivated plots the pro- 

 duction of seed is generally much greater than in the 

 forest, from forty to sixty being commonly found, 



